Tyson Nicholson of Woongarrah became involved with Ronald McDonald House Charities’ Ride for Sick Kids by chance in 2019 and took part in the annual fundraiser again this week, with 25 riders cycling over 500km from Inverell to Newcastle on September 6-10.
“In 2019 I had a friend in Newcastle, a fellow real estate agent, who had seen on my Instagram that cycled a bit,” Nicholson said.
“He approached me to take part in the Ride for Sick Kids and although I hadn’t heard of the fundraiser until then I jumped on board.
“That first year I did the entire ride, but the next two years the event was impacted by COVID-19, although we did do an abbreviated 100km cycle on the Central Coast in 2020.
“This year I won’t be doing the whole ride as the dates coincide with a trip to the snow I had promised my children, but I will be riding on a couple of legs as an anchor and helping out however I can during the ride.”
Nicholson said before joining the first ride, he had little understanding of what Ronald McDonald House Charities was all about.
“But along the ride you get to talk to families and children impacted by illness about what the charity has done for them,” he said.
“You realise the importance of what you’re involved with when you hear how illness has impacted on those families and the gratitude they have for any support.
“You know you are part of something very worthwhile and special.
“Being a parent is not easy – it’s like having your heart run around outside your body.
“When you add sickness (of a child) to that you don’t know how you’d cope.
“The ride gives you plenty of time to think about how many kilometres are between some of these suburbs and how emotionally and financially difficult it is for some of these families to visit their kids in hospital.
“If not for Ronald McDonald House, it could be impossible for some to be beside their kids at their greatest time of need.”
Run by Ronald McDonald House Charities Northern New South Wales (RMHC Northern NSW), this will be the 18th annual Ride for Sick Kids (RFSK) event, raising vital funds for seriously ill or injured children and their families.
RMHC is 100 per cent community owned and relies on the generosity of the local community to continue to support families from across the Northern NSW region.
RMHC Northern NSW CEO, Ross Bingham, said it was wonderful to bring the event back in its physical format following two years of virtual rides.
“Each year we support over 6,000 families from across the region so we are calling on the Northern NSW community get involved to help raise the vital funds,” he said.
You can donate to a rider if by visiting; https://nnswfundraising.rmhc.org.au/event/ride-for-sick-kids-nth-nsw/sponsor-select.
Terry Collins