The Campbelltown and Macarthur community is being encouraged to get behind the local arm of the iconic Black Dog Ride by registering for the “one dayer’’ or participating in local fundraising to help start a national conversation about depression and suicide prevention.
The 2024 Black Dog Ride “one dayer’’ is a short, one day motorcycle ride to be held in more than 40 communities across Australia on Sunday, March 17.
This year’s Campbelltown ride will leave from Leumeah station carpark and take participants on a journey through to Picton for lunch, fundraising raffles and most importantly – connection and conversations.
There were 6,000 participants across the nation in the 2023 “one dayer’’, but organisers want to encourage more community members to get involved in 2024 to make it the biggest event yet.
Local coordinator Scott Perry said joining the Black Dog Ride’s “one dayer’’ was an enjoyable and meaningful way to help the organisation achieve its mission of starting conversations about depression and suicide prevention.
“More than 3,000 lives are lost to suicide in Australia every year, and one in five Aussies will be affected by mental illness every year, with three million living with depression or anxiety,” Mr Perry said.
“The tragic loss of loved ones to suicide is what drives Black Dog Ride to build a community culture of awareness, inclusion and acceptance, and we’d love for more people from the local community to get behind that in 2024.”
By participating in the event, locals will help to break down the barrier of silence and encourage friends, family and colleagues to seek help to manage mental illness so they can lead a meaningful, fulfilling life.
Black Dog Ride Australia general manager Lawson Dixon said fostering awareness was the catalyst for encouraging help seeking behaviour and preventing suicide.
“We’ve been helping Aussies have conversations about mental health and suicide prevention for almost 14 years and we know that every conversation, every activity, every ride and every piece of awareness we help create has the potential to change lives for the better,” Mr Dixon said.
“Last year we were thrilled to have 6,000 people across the country register for their local “one dayer’’ rides – this year we’re calling on the community to help us register 8,000 riders to help support our cause.”
Funds raised will help contribute to the Black Dog Ride Australia community grants program, which is focused on supporting initiatives that help people who suffer from mental illness, help prevent suicide, and raise awareness of both mental health and suicide prevention.
Local schools, clubs, community groups and individuals can also raise awareness of depression and suicide prevention and support the vital work of Black Dog Ride by organising local fundraising activities and events.
Locals are encouraged to register for the local “one dayer’’ before the registration cost increases on February 1, by visiting: https://events.humanitix.com/campbelltown-nsw-black-dog-ride-1-dayer-2024
