Third biennial Tour de OROC for charity will begin in Mudgee

First founded in 2013 to raise funds for the Macquarie Home Stay Regional Patient and Family Accommodation facility and to highlight the distances involved in people who attend the Dubbo hospital.

Run in 2013 and situated in Dubbo, the event moved to a Wellington start in 2015 before coming to Mudgee, 126km from Dubbo.

Although the trip itself isn’t a six day trip, the event takes that long, extending the trip from Mudgee to Dubbo out to 1,000km over the six days.

The journey begins in Mudgee, out to Dunedoo and Gilgandra, up to Coonamble and then Walgett, across to Brewarrina and Bourke before heading back down to Nyngan, before the final day sees the peloton drive through Trangie, Narromine and Dubbo.

The last two years have seen the event raise almost $300,000 to be donated to the Macquarie Home Stay, with the target this year set at another $100,000 for the accommodation facility.

Rod Crowfoot, the Managing Director of Macquarie Home Stay, has said that the facility is forever grateful to the Tour de OROC.

“On the back of the initial event in 2013, we were able to show significant community support and dollars in the bank which helped us secure $3.3 million from the Cobbora Transition Fund to fund the balance of Stage 1,” he said.

“The project is hurtling forward now with builders currently tendering to construct Stage 1. The entire project is planned in stages so as we secure more funds we can continue to build towards the final vision, which now includes providing the accommodation to support the Cancer Treatment Centre by 2020.”

The mayors across the region will again be participating at various points of the ride and the councils and rotary clubs across the region will be supporting the riders and helping with fundraising.

“This is an epic challenge. OROC officially stands for Orana Region of Councils but for this event we believe OROC stands for Orana Region Outback Challenge,” Matthew Dickerson, the chair of the Rotary Club of Dubbo South commitee, said.

“This ride is the longest 6-day charity ride in the world and challenges all riders who participate. We once again look forward to support from sponsors and riders all across the region.”