Black Dog Ride 2010

To the Lions Clubs of Australia

On 20th August 2009 Lion Steve Andrews from Busselton, Western Australia, completed a solo 26 day motorcycle ride around the country raising awareness of depression and funds for the Suicide Call Back Service. Steve’s life has been tragically impacted by depression having lost his mother and a dear friend to suicide and watched his brother and daughter struggle with depression for many years. The latest information regarding depression is quite staggering. Of your closest friends, family and colleagues, about 1 in 5 will suffer mental ill health this year – but most won't discuss it, and most won't receive treatment. Mental ill health is the leading killer of Australians under 45, and the leading cause of disability in Australia.

Steve’s awesome event was the inaugural Black Dog Ride, www.blackdogride.com.au . Thanks to the support of many Lions Clubs, mainly those along his route on Highway 1 and those in our District of 201W2, Steve raised $23,000 and created an increased level of awareness amongst the thousands of people he met and communicated with via social media during this epic journey. Steve also received support from fellow members of the Ulysses Motorcycle Club, http://www.ulyssesclub.org/ and appreciated their company on some sections of what was, at times, a long and lonely road.
The combination of the Lions and Ulysses Clubs throughout the Ride was a highlight for Steve and got him thinking that there was huge potential (over 1250 Lions Clubs and 130 Ulysses Branches) to take the awareness and fund raising to another level by harnessing support from these wonderful organizations to a greater extent.

For 2010 Steve has changed the format of Black Dog Ride and is planning to have riders from all over our vast country riding to the “Red Centre” Glen Helen Resort ( 120km West of Alice Springs) where they will all meet on September 11th for a fundraiser and celebration of the ride.
Steve had already decided, with the approval of Busselton Lions Club, that money raised from this Ride would go towards the Black Dog Ride Institute, http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/ which is a not-for-profit, educational, research, clinical and community-oriented facility offering expertise in depression and bipolar disorder. This decision was further vindicated, just before Christmas 2009 when, following talks with the institute regarding their soon to be announced new national initiative “Exercise Your Mood Week”, Steve was informed that Black Dog Ride was the first registered event for this exciting Australia wide campaign to combat mental illness.

We, Busselton Lions Club, District 201W2, have the support of our 2009/2010 DG Neil Saunders and his permission to contact Lions Clubs around Australia so Steve, to assist him on his mission, is asking if it is possible for your Club to get behind Black Dog Ride by making a donation or running awareness fundraisers in your local community. Participating Clubs will receive relevant material to hand out at their functions and feel satisfied with the knowledge that they are making a significant contribution to the battle against depression and to help break down the stigma attached to mental illness. Steve truly believes that by working together we can make a difference.

We know that it’s getting harder and harder to raise funds and most clubs like to put back into their own local community as much as they possibly can. This event provides an opportunity to raise awareness at the grass roots level in your community which will also benefit from the flow on effect from the great work done by the Institute.

If your Club would like to assist or donate to Black Dog Ride 2010 please visit the website www.blackdogride.com.au for details or contact Steve, email steve@blackdogride.com.au if you would like any further information.

Cheques can be forwarded to Lions Club of Busselton, PO Box 365, Busselton, W. Australia 6280.