Rio Tinto Ride to Conquer Cancer

The Rio Tinto Ride to Conquer Cancer is looking for volunteers for its Brisbane event to help provide services for riders.

The Ride is an epic, two-day fundraising event with all donations raised by participants going directly to the Queensland Institute of Medical Research for their world-class cancer research programs, which lead to treatments that help save lives.

The Ride of over 200km on August 18-19 will take participants of all ages + abilities through picturesque parts of southeast Queensland and will bring together communities of survivors, riders and supporters for one common goal: to conquer cancer.

Volunteers will play pivotal roles in the event by helping with a variety of tasks. The Ride starts with an Opening Ceremony in Brisbane on the Saturday morning, before the riders head off on their adventure towards the halfway point of the event where they will camp out overnight in a tent city with food, drinks, hot showers and entertainment on tap. The riders will then make the return leg Sunday to the finish line.

“I’m a student and raising money is a big ask when all of my friends are also students, so the next best thing is volunteering,” said 2011 Ride volunteer Fatima Benhabib.

Fatima was so impressed with the whole structure of the inaugural Ride to Conquer Cancer last year in Brisbane that she is a repeat volunteer this year.

“The grandness of the event is what attracted me and just the fact that it’s so well put on. It flows well and the participants have a good time,” she added. “On a personal note, like a lot of other people I’ve had cancer in my family, so volunteering for The Ride is my way of helping the cause.”

Volunteers are needed to work in shifts during the weekend. The shifts will cover the Opening and Closing ceremonies in the city, as well as camp set-up.

“To be there on the Saturday at the Opening Ceremony, to see the riders with the yellow flags making this epic journey, as well as hear a selected rider speak about his own journey with cancer and the bike that was escorted down through the riders is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life,” said Adrienne, a 2011 volunteer.

Crew members are also needed to help with logistics on each Ride. Crew are the backbone of each event and their responsibilities include food service, traffic, bike parking, truck drivers (truck license needed), camp set-up/pack-up, pit stop, hydration and snack support, massage therapy, Moto safety and more.

There’s a $50 registration fee to be a Crew member. That fee gives Crew access to the same amenities as the Riders including meals, hot showers, tent accommodation and entertainment, as well as providing access to The Ride’s fundraising tools for any Crew that might also want to raise money.

It’s an awesome way to see scenic parts of the state and is a great way to experience the entire event while supporting the participants, so sign up today and be part of this fantastic history-making event!

To sign up to volunteer or crew, donate, or to learn more about The Rio Tinto Ride to Conquer Cancer call 1300 11 RIDE (7433), or visit www.conquercancer.org.au