Great Australian Road Trip To Raise Funds For Child Allergy Research
The infamous family road trip of the 1970s; no air conditioning, AM radio, scalding hot car seats, is being revived with the aim of raising $40,000 to help support research into the rising epidemic of life-threatening food allergies amongst children.
Over five days, participants of the inaugural Great Australian Road Trip will drive from Melbourne to Silverton (New South Wales) and back in pre-1983 cars, recapturing some of those unforgettable experiences all for a good cause – raising money for the Ilhan Food Allergy Foundation. To donate to the finance gurus everyday hero of choice doing the drive
Through research sponsored by the Ilhan Food Allergy Foundation, Associate Professor Katie Allen of the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute found that Melbourne has the highest reported rates of proven food allergy in the world with as many as 10% of infants demonstrating allergies of either egg, peanut or sesame at the age of one.
With daughters sharing life threatening allergies to egg, peanuts and sesame (known as anaphylaxis), Melbourne fathers Nick Cummins and Tony Box decided to stage an event, The Great Australian Road Trip, that would not only raise money to help fund research but also raise awareness of a growing issue amongst parents.
“Both Tony and I have seen first hand the myriad issues confronting both parents and their children who deal with anaphylaxis on a daily basis,” Nick said.
“We decided that we’d take some of our own childhood memories of the family road trip and create an event to help raise money for the Ilhan Food Allergy Foundation.”
“Raising awareness is equally important,” said Tony.
“Other parents, schools, sports clubs, even restaurants are increasingly coming into contact with children with anaphylaxis and it is important that we build understanding in the community rather than fear or confusion”.
The Great Australian Road Trip is first and foremost about fundraising, but also an opportunity for participants to rediscover parts of Australia off the discount airline-beaten track and have a lot of fun along the way.
To capture the spirit of the Road Trip each participating team is required to drive a car that was built no later than 1983. This can be a car that you already own, or one that you buy specifically for the Road Trip.
Teams comprise of up to four people, with each team required to raise $4,000 to participate.
The Great Australian Road Trip is not a race, there are no prizes for arriving at your destination first, rather it is about the journey itself and the great unknown of whether or not that Chrysler Valiant you bought will last the distance.
The Ilhan Food Allergy Foundation is a charitable trust dedicated to funding research, educating the public and raising awareness about the issues surrounding anaphylaxis and resources for management of the condition.
For more information:
Great Australian Road Trip
Nick Cummins, Event Director, 0418 527 010 or [email protected]
www.greataustralianroadtrip.com.au
Ilhan Food Allergy Foundation
Mariella Dabkowski, Program Assistant, 0409 940 438 or [email protected]
The Great Australian Road Trip Itinerary
DAY |
START |
|
FINISH |
1 |
Melbourne |
→ |
Wentworth (NSW) |
2 |
Wentworth |
→ |
Silverton (via Menindee) (NSW) |
3 |
Silverton |
→ |
Eden Valley (SA) |
4 |
Eden Valley |
→ |
Nelson (via Coorong) |
5 |
Nelson |
→ |
Melbourne |
Total drive distance – approximately 2,390 km.
