Patients don’t get to have a rest day when they’re sick and the Tour de OROC riders didn’t either.
On Thursday, $105,000 raised during the ride was handed over to Macquarie Home Stay managing director Rod Crowfoot.
More than 200,000 people needed to stay in Dubbo for medical treatment, Mr Crowfoot said, and Macquarie Home Stay would be their home away from home.
The first guests would likely be welcomed in September, he said.
Construction is currently underway on the facility. The slab will be laid at the end of this month or the beginning of March, Mr Crowfoot said, followed by the construction of the foundation.
Seventeen riders, from serious racers to two-wheeled enthusiasts, competed in the Tour de OROC.
The riders travelled more than 1000 kilometres across a week, through places such as Nyngan, Bourke, Walgett, Gilgandra and Mudgee.
Ride captain Sarah Gordon said it was a really tough week, but the team worked together and stayed focused.
Mission accomplished: The Tour de OROC riders and support crew members at their final destination in Dubbo. Photo: BELINDA SOOLE
“Someone said to me… that it would have been nice just to have a day where we have a break because it’s very mentally draining. I thought about that [Thursday] morning when I was reflecting on what I would say and I thought our families who are going to be using Macquarie Home Stay, their loved ones in hospitals don’t get a break from illness, they don’t get a reprieve from the sick, the worry, the stress, the financial burden,” she said.
“What we’re doing for Macquarie Home Stay in handing over this cheque is putting some money toward making sure people get that rest and get that reprieve and a place to be when they travel to Dubbo. Because it’s not about the people of Dubbo, it’s about the people coming into our community to ensure they get that rest.”
Tour de OROC chairman Mathew Dickerson said people dug deep for Macquarie Home Stay. Numerous people along the trip were willing to give what they could to the cause, he said.
To date, more than $386,000 has been raised for Macquarie Home Stay through the Tour de OROC since the inaugural 2013 ride.
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Nyngan Observer
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