It’s been a few weeks now since we concluded the Ride of Fire Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal 2009 ride from Cairns to Melbourne. What an experience! I have to say it was one of those life changing experiences for me and one that I will not soon forget. Since I got home a week ago, my tired old Heritage Softail has been resting in the garage after a well-performed ride of some 6,500 kilometres without missing a beat.
From all the conversations I’ve had with riders and people who participated, everybody has their own stories and feelings about what the ride meant for them. The one thing in common is that all the feedback has been positive and good.
Thank you.
Firstly, I would like to thank a few very special people for their help in making the ride possible.
Charlie Broadbent
What a guy. Without Charlie I’m sure this would have been a far less entertaining experience. Charlie was the only rider who chose to participate in the ride from start to finish. He also became the Ride of Fire poster boy featuring in numerous newspapers and TV news broadcasts. Whenever we needed Charlie, all we needed to do was look for the trademark red bandana, if that didn’t work, we’d look for the blonde - he’d never be far away from either.
Geoff Jackson
Geoff is a trooper through and through. A quiet achiever and now a great friend. He gave up 2 weeks of his holidays to drive the inconspicuous TOLL Ipec truck all the way from Cairns to Melbourne. He proved his worth on so many occasions, from re-fueling to taking control of all the administration processes along the way. Thanks for your help and your friendship Geoff. Hope you’re still going to have that TOLL Ipec shirt framed.
Sarah Dunford
One of the unsung heroines of the Ride of Fire. Sarah worked tirelessly behind the scenes coordinating venues, Road Captains, Media and so much more. It was a pleasure working with her and an experience that restored faith in the work ethics of Australia’s youth. Thanks a bunch Sarah.
A huge thank you to all the HOG Chapters who chose to get involved and to the Road Captains who made the legs a smooth and seamless transition from town to town.
I’d also like to thank the government authorities in Queensland and New South Wales for their support in ensuring the ride wasn’t held up by paperwork and protocols. Without the help of Queensland and New South Wales Police in particular, we could have been confronted with hurdles and challenges all the way down the line. I’d also like to offer special thanks to the NSW Traffic Commander, Steve Blair. On many occasions Steve helped behind the scenes with venues, routes and good old fashioned support and encouragement.
Most importantly on behalf of everybody involved, I’d like to thank all the riders who made the effort to take the time to join the ride and make it the success it was. Understandably, short notice was our biggest challenge. In spite of this we had a great turn-out and it was a pleasure and an honour to meet so many big-hearted people.
Take care and ride safe.
Boyd Jackson
Director
0406 750 431
www.jacksonstudios.com.au
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