Towns rally behind Ride For Country Kids

A rider each from Forbes and Cowra, and two from Parkes were among the 64 cyclists who took part in this year's Royal Far West Ride For Country Kids. With a smoking ceremony by Peak Hill man Tyrone Robinson and ribbon cutting to officially mark the start of the 12th Royal Far West Ride, cyclists departed Cooke Park in Parkes on Sunday morning bound for Manildra via Molong on day one. They left in three pelotons, those extra keen completed the loop back to Parkes, around 180km, while the rest stopped at Manildra, about 122km in distance. The rain held off just long enough on day one, but the region was a little soaked the following two days. In total the ride covered more than 380km over three days through these NSW far west regions, taking in Trundle and Eugowra before finishing in Forbes on days two and three - Monday and Tuesday. These are regions where Royal Far West has proudly worked for more than 100 years. The aim is to raise $500,000 to directly support the health and wellbeing of Australia's country kids. As of Monday afternoon that tally was $381,909. A special welcome dinner was held on the eve of the ride in the Hart Bar at the Railway Hotel in Parkes, which saw the attendance of Royal Far West chairperson Joan Treweeke OAM and CEO Dr Briony Scott. Lucy Alexus from Parkes and James Slender from Cowra were nervous for the big trek ahead, despite being seasoned cyclists for 10 and 13 years respectively. The pair were among a large cohort of first timers in this year's ride, who all didn't let the nerves get the better of them. Lucy and James represented Essential Energy, one of the ride's sponsors, and most of their fundraising came from donations from their colleagues. One of the reasons Lucy wanted to get involved in the ride was because it allowed her the opportunity to hop on a bike, something she loves doing. "But also I wanted to support it because Royal Far West is so prominent in town," she said. And for James: "It's a really good cause and I wanted to do something for Central West kids," he said. The passion to support the cause has been so great that some riders present have been taking part in the Ride For Country Kids for as many as nine years. While Stuart Thomas from Forbes has been road cycling for 20 years, this too was his first Royal Far West ride. He said he had a good run on the first leg of the journey, beginning with peloton two and merging with peloton three later in the ride. Among the highlights for him and others were the four Royal Far West ladies awaiting their arrival in Manildra, and who they joined for some refreshments and a bite to eat in a nearby cafe. Reviewing day one back in Parkes at a dinner at the Parkes Services Club, the room heard that for most of the riders in the second peloton who rode 180km in over six hours, it was the first time they’ve ever ridden that far. And the evening's MC said the first peloton "smoked it". "They were expected between 11.30am and 12pm, and they arrived at 10.45am," he said. Day two of the ride, cyclists left Parkes again, this time in the other direction to Trundle and finished in Forbes after about 130km. They stopped at the Trundle Golf Club, where they were greeted by Stef Daeman from Royal Far West’s Trundle Op Shop and staff and students from Trundle Central School and St Patrick’s Parish School. Day three started in Forbes, bound for Eugowra, where at Eugowra Community Hall riders had the opportunity to meet children from Eugowra Childcare Centre, Eugowra Public School and St Josephs Catholic Primary School. They returned to Forbes after covering about 120km. Royal Far West celebrated 100 years last year, that saw 100 riders take part in the Ride for Country Kids during its centenary. And since its inception in 2014, the ride has raised more than $4.5 million. ROYAL FAR WEST AND TRUNDLE Trundle is home to one of Royal Far West’s most passionate and active volunteer branches, led by the incredible Jo Coster and assisted by her friend Stef Daeman. The branch closed due to a lack of volunteers about 30 years ago, but a group of determined locals brought it back to life in 2012 because they knew how much their children needed support. In a community of just 600 people, the Trundle branch has become a powerhouse. Some members have been volunteering for more than 60 years, and one member even accessed RFW services as a child before dedicating her life to giving back. The Royal Far West Op Shop is more than a shop, it’s a community hub, a meeting place, and a lifeline for locals. Trundle has seen firsthand the impact of RFW’s programs, from early telecare pilots to school-based support that helped children find their confidence and voice in the classroom. The dedication of the whole branch, is one of the reasons Trundle continues to shine. Royal Far West’s support can also be seen in the classrooms in Trundle. St Patrick’s School has been partnering with Royal Far West, receiving weekly speech pathology and occupational therapy telehealth sessions. And at Trundle Central School, Royal Far West’s speech pathologists have provided support through classroom observations, cognitive assessments, one-on-one speech therapy sessions, and consultations with the K-2 classroom teacher and wellbeing coordinator.