The Sunshine Ride Breaks Fundraising Record, Raising Over $151,000 for Cancer Centre
The Sunshine Ride has once again surpassed expectations, raising an incredible $151,407.32 this year, setting themselves a new record for fundraising in support of the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre Trust Fund. The 24-hour stationary bike ride has become a cornerstone event for raising money and awareness, and this year’s event was no exception, with 1,308 separate donations, 298 active fundraisers, and 292 entrants across 27 teams in six locations, including Adrenaline Boxing and Conditioning, Gurus Albury, Comet Cycles, Natural Beauty, ALLFIT and M&M X-Treme World of Fitness.
The challenge, which encourages participants to form teams and together ride throughout the night and day to raise money for a great cause, not about how far or fast you ride. Community members, businesses, and local organisations came together to pedal for a purpose and support the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre.
Leading up to the Ride, this year’s event featured a variety of fun and engaging activities, including Bosses being “locked up” for a good cause, a lively Music Trivia Night, a BBQ at the Lavington Discount Grocery Warehouse, Poker competitions, and the AWRCC Race Day event.
In an incredible first, Team Sunshine Runners crushed it on the treadmill, covering an astonishing 314km—nearly the distance from Albury to Melbourne, which cancer patients previously needed to travel for treatment. With 8 dedicated members each running nearly a full marathon, their effort was nothing short of amazing!
In another amazing first, DJ Binding shaved his head and raised a staggering $6,137.18 all on his own—what an incredible, generous feat!
The overwhelming generosity of over 5,000 raffle ticket buyers and generous local sponsors such as Adrenaline Boxing and Conditioning, Commercial Club, HIB Insurance, Hume Bank, Surdex Steele, Asahi, and Kubiuc Transport helped push the total raised to a new high.
Since its launch in 2021, the Sunshine Ride has now raised more than $510,000, making a significant impact on the services, facilities, and research available to patients and carers at the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre. The funds raised go directly to providing critical support, treatments, and research, offering hope and resources for those affected by cancer.
Steven Ballard, Sunshine Ride Committee Chair, highlighted the key to the event’s success, saying, “This achievement is a result of the dedicated efforts of our committee and the overwhelming generosity of our local community. Behind the scenes, countless volunteer hours go into ensuring every participant has a positive experience. Our sponsors also make the Ride memorable; we are truly fortunate to live in such a supportive community.”
Trust Fund Manager Andrew Mackinlay expresses his heartfelt thank you to every individual, team, sponsor, and supporter who made this event possible, “Whether you rode, donated, or volunteered, your involvement has made a lasting difference” Andrew said.
“Together, you have not only set a new fundraising record but also shown the incredible strength and compassion of our community. Thank you for your unwavering support in the fight against cancer!”
We certainly can’t wait to see what the Sunshine Ride Committee have planned for 2026! Look out everyone, from all accounts it’s going to be bigger still.
To view all the event photos, click here
Photo: Michelle Hind in the Lock up your Boss Cell at Adrenaline Boxing and Conditioning.
