Can Cruise is an event many look forward to every year, the convoy of vehicles of many sizes and utility coming together for a one-day car and motor-bike rally not only raises money for a great cause, but is a delight for people of all ages that love cars.
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Held by Cudgegong Cruisers Inc and volunteers from Can Assist, the 2024 event is no different, with punters eager to hit the road on Saturday, March 16.
Among the drivers will be Jamie Tuck-Lee, flanked by his sister Jess and father Paul. This will be Jamie's fourth Can Cruise and will be the first time he drives his father Paul's truck. The event is a family affair for the trio and Jamie said he enjoys the camaraderie that comes with the event.
"It's good to get away from work and catch up with mates and show off the trucks, [there's] always a bit of friendly competition of who has the cleanest truck," Jamie said.
"My best memory would be the first event we went to my sister Jess taught me how to drive a truck the week before so I could actually drive a truck myself. So it was a massive learning curve learning the 18-speed and it was pretty much the start of my trucking life from there."
John Stuart from Cudgegong Cruisers has been part of Can Cruise for more than 10 years. He said seeing the event grow and become so well-supported by the community is heartening. More than $200,000 has been raised for CanAssist since its inception.
"Last year was our biggest event ever where we made $30,000 for CanAssist on the day," John said.
"We now have a lot of people coming from outside the area now to it - from Lithgow and the Portland area... we've got regulars from Sydney and Dubbo that come up, so it's great."
Can Cruise begins at Mudgee Showground at 8am where a number of events like a breakfast, live music and auction will take place before the convoy heads out in stages to Dunedoo to enjoy the rest of the day. Among the thousands of dollars in auction items donated are day passes to Sydney SuperSprint, including a guided behind-the-scenes tour of the Supercars donated by Pirtek Mudgee and a laptop valued at $995 donated by High-tech IT Worx.
"We're looking forward to going up to Dunedoo and people can - if they feel like it - go down the road and have a refreshment and have a look around the town. That will throw a few dollars into the town for the day," John said.
"We cannot thank our long-term sponsors [enough], Yancoal/Moolarben. They have come on board again and they have been the sponsor for many, many years which we greatly appreciate and support."
Punters without a vehicle are welcome to come along to Mudgee Showground on Saturday morning and check out the vehicles and donate to CanAssist who will be there with their familiar collection buckets.
