SWAN Hill residents rolled out the pink carpet on Friday in support of AFL legend
Shane Crawford’s epic ride to support the Breast Cancer Network of Australia.
The street teemed with hundreds of supporters who were eager to welcome the
superstar and show their support for his venture.
Despite the exhausting
10-hour ride from Bendigo, Crawford mingled with the crowd signing autographs
and posing for photos.
Before he left, he spray painted a pink Breast Cancer
Network Australia (BCNA) symbol near Swan Hill’s iconic clock tower.
He said
he was heartened by the town’s support for breast cancer awareness.
“It was
the perfect way to finish the 187km on day two, all the support blew me away,
almost as much as the 17km/h winds I was riding into to get here,” he
said.
“Thank-you for your wonderful welcome to Swan Hill and for the big
smiles. Every little bit helps in supporting and creating awareness for Breast
Cancer Network Australia.”
In addition to the moral support provided to the
‘Tour de Crawf’, the Swan Hill community dug deep to support the BCNA
financially, with local businesses sponsoring the ride to the tune of $15,000
and and an estimated $45,000 being raised during a gala dinner at the Town Hall
on Friday night.
At GJ Gardner Homes’ Swan Hill branch last week, the
company announced it would also donate $10,000 to the ride.
BCNA community
liaison Donna Rullo, who worked with a committee of 10 to organise the gala
dinner event, said their hard work had finally come into fruition.
With the
announcement coming just five weeks ago that Swan Hill would be one of just five
major stops on the 3600km ride from Melbourne to Perth, Ms Rullo said she was
proud of what the townsfolk had been able to achieve in a short space of
time.
She realised the extent of what
they had been able to accomplish while watching The AFL Footy Show, on which
Crawford is a panellist, last Thursday night.
“I just stared at that swan
((on the Tour de Crawf corporate sponsors board)), we are just a town and we are
up there,” she said.
“I was very chuffed.”
Geoff and Betty Thompson were
among those lining the streets on Friday, for reasons close to their hearts.
Ms Thompson has worked with BCNA for the past 20 years after beating breast
cancer 21 years ago.
“I’m one of the very fortunate people, I feel very
blessed that I can be here now and advocate for it,” she said.
She reinforced
the importance of the network’s function, noting one particular tool created by
BCNA.
“The most important thing they send out is the My Journey kit to every
woman with breast cancer.”
The kit is offered to women when they are first
diagnosed with breast cancer and provides information and support, both for the
patient and those close to them.
Michael Hickox came down to the ride through
with his two sons, Oscar and Charlie, who had won a competition at their school
earlier in the week.
They had decided to donate their winnings to Crawford’s
ride.
“We’re here to support Shane, we’re big Hawks supporters, and were here
for the cause,” he said.
“They won $20 [through the competition], they’re
happy to give that to the cause.”
Today Crawford will ride 188km to Burra, in
South Australia’s mid-north.
