Kat’s idea to raise money for sick babies has already raised $12,000 for charity – and there are more events to come. Photo: Kat’s Adventure Ride for Charity/Facebook.
It’s the big plan that started in a small country town: ride through the Aussie outdoors and raise money for a charity close to their hearts.
Charlie and Jane (names changed for privacy) live in Yass, and their daughter, Kat, came to them with an idea when she was in Year 5.
“When her sister was born, she lived through this whole process of her having to stay in intensive care for many weeks,” Jane says.
“The hospital’s in Canberra, so she saw mum having to rush away, four or five times a day, to visit.
“That really hit home, I think … [Kat] wanted to do something that might help not just sick babies, but also the families of the babies.”
After speaking with her mum and dad, the Ride for Babies charity event was born.
They organise tours around Australia to raise money for charity in annual events.
The Yass family is now gearing up for two more charity rides, scheduled for 2026.
But before participants could head off on their motorcycles, there was a lot of work to do.
Jane describes Kat as the driving force behind the campaign.
After all, she had to write more than 100 letters, organise a raffle and find sponsors to support the inaugural ride in 2024.
“She’s been doing a lot of the idea, obviously, the creative stuff, coming up with designs. She did all the legwork with letter-writing and a raffle,” Jane says.
A similar process occurred earlier this year when the event returned for a second time.
Kat’s initiative has raised $12,510 between the two rides, with the money donated to the Newborn Intensive Care Foundation (NICF).
The NICF funds medical equipment and research for the neonatal ICU at the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children (Canberra Hospital).
“Half of those babies that they treat a year – 700 to 800 babies – come from the regions,” Jane says.
“The area [of southern NSW] is quite big. It’s normally serviced by airlifting the babies, a lot of the time, to the hospital because they’re not actually that close.”
For dad Charlie, the outpouring of support showed it’s more than a chance to see some new terrain from your motorbike.
They met the director of the neonatal ICU and toured the hospital.
“I thought it was amazing to see that come full circle and be able to donate some money back,” Charlie said of the visit.
“It was just good to see that we had a result, and that result will have an impact on what the foundation’s trying to achieve.
“We were very surprised and humbled by the number of people who did take up the offer to pay money and ride.”
The rides are beginner-friendly and fully supported by the ADV specialist team from The Bike Butler Sydney, a motorcycle build and storage workshop (that means they can pitch in and help with any unexpected issues).
“There’s friends coming on the ride together, but we want to attract people who don’t have anyone to ride with,” Charlie said.
“If they ride with the group, we want them to feel secure, because we can be going into remote parts of the bush.
“They come as a group. They’ve got maps and mechanical support riders. They can feel a bit more at ease.”
The Ride for Babies is now accepting entries for the next treks, a Snowy Mountains ride (6 to 9 March, 2026) and one in Russia next July. Find out more or make a donation by visiting the campaign’s website.
