Two Lucindale locals have teamed up in the fight against cancer by driving from Port Douglas Queensland to Adelaide in October for the Spring 2023 Shitbox Rally.
Shannon Burdett and Erin McWaters have raised over a third of their $60,000 goal for the Cancer Council of Australia as they join locals in driving a car worth less than $1500 across some of the nation’s most formidable roads.
The pair have taken over from Rohan Giles and Andrew Wilkes who competed in the Autumn 2021 Shitbox Rally after Giles’ cancer unfortunately returned last year.
Ms McWaters said they will inherit the name ‘Lucindale Survivors’ from their predecessors aptly named after both men survived cancer and the treacherous rally.
“They bought the car back they did the rally in with the intention of doing it again one day,” she said.
“After Rohan’s diagnosis he decided he was unable to do it and Andrew did not want to do it without him so they tapped us both on the shoulder and asked if we could do it as their proxy.
“Neither of us have done a rally before but … we can change a tyre.”
The women will get behind the wheel of a 1990s AU Ford Falcon renamed ‘Sherlee’ while Wilkes will drive the car to the starting point.
Ms McWaters said she does not know anyone who has not been touched by cancer and the two women are no exception.
Mrs Burdett will dedicate the race to her husband’s cousin Donna Walsh who tragically lost her battle to pancreatic cancer in July last year.
Meanwhile, Ms McWaters will honour her cousin’s son Charlie Hoile who lost a three-year battle to a rare cancer called Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor in 2021 at only 16-years-old.
The pair are not sheepish when it comes to fundraisers, approaching farmers in the district to donate livestock to sell at market.
“Behind the scenes we have got a ‘Lamb Cram’ happening where we approached farmers in the district and asked them all to donate a lamb or two which they did,” Mrs Burdett said.
“We have 57 lambs standing in a paddock at the moment on donated feed and they will be going to market in the next couple of weeks.
“We had a ‘Glass in the Grass’ event like a cocktail party which raised us about $5500.
“We have a golf day coming up in June and we are also planning an auction day (for which) we have had a heap of goods and services donated to auction off.
“Every week at the pub on a Friday night we have meat tray raffles.”
Their next fundraiser will be a four person Ambrose golf day at Lucindale Country Club at $200 per team of four with lunch provided.
Ms McWaters has praised the generosity of the Lucindale community when it comes to fundraising.
“This community is brilliant, there is not any other community like this one I do not reckon,” she said.
“Everyone just chipped in, it is always nice when it is a good cause and people just throw in way too much sometimes.
“I have lived in a lot of small communities and there is nothing quite like the Lucindale community.
“We would also like to thank anyone so far that has donated in any way whether it is cash or time or lambs, everything.
“We have just had so much come in it has just been overwhelming.”
To donate head to spring2023.shitboxrally.com.au/lucindale-survivors which will send funds directly to the Cancer Council of Australia.
