Moree Lions president David Graham and Moree mayor Katrina Humphries hand ride co-ordinator Paul Vaupel a cheque for $500 towards the Black Dog ride.
Eleven-year-old Lily Roberts says hi to one of the ride’s mascots at the weekend.
Black Dog ride
Adam and Ben Schubert ‘testing’ out one of the bikes on Sunday.
It’s Gold Coast resident Ken Dunstan’s first time on the ride, and his first time west of Goondiwindi.
Black Dog ride
CHILDREN and adults alike were enthralled when about 30 shiny, gleaming road bikes rolled into town on Sunday.
The riders were stopping by on day two of the epic ‘Black Dog Ride’, an annual ride which raises money and awareness to help those suffering depression.
Ride co-ordinator, Paul Vaupel, lost a brother and his father to suicide.
“My brother drank heavily and didn’t fit into the Army - he suffered depression for years.
“But nobody would have expected my father of being depressed - there were no signs. A lot of men don’t talk about those things.”
“So (this ride) is about getting people to say ‘Oh yeah, I haven’t been feeling so well, I need to talk to someone’.”
Four hundred bikes will meet in Alice Springs at the end of the ride. All of the different state rides stop in a variety of towns along the way.
Last year the ride raised $166,000, and this year ride founder Steve Andrews said he would like to see $250,000 raised.
Already $189,000 has been raised after just two days.
Moree Lions Club hosted the riders when they stopped over at the Tourist Information Centre and donated $500 towards the ride.
Residents came down to admire the bikes and chat with the riders.
The riders continued on to Narrabri and then Gilgandra. They will arrive in Alice Springs on August 24.