Thousands of motorcycle riders from across Australia will hit the highways on Sunday for Black Dog Ride's iconic 'one-dayer' event, raising awareness about the 'black dog' of depression.
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A crew of 19 will take off on their bikes on Saturday morning from the Coffee and Grill Hut in Tamworth and head to Gunnedah, where they will pick up more riders.
The group will then continue on to Dubbo, where they will join forces with "hundreds" more riders, Tamworth Black Dog Ride coordinator John Holyoake said.
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The official Black Dog Rides event is on Sunday, March 15 and will see the large group ride from Dubbo to Armatree.
"It's all about sharing - there's always someone that knows someone," Mr Holyoake said.
"The suicide prevention project will kickstart conversations around a tough topic and provides hope to communities, encouraging Australians living with depression to seek assistance," he said.
The one-dayer will see more than 7000 motorcycle enthusiasts take to the streets in 40 different locations across Australia.
"The rider, what you ride, where you come from - it's totally irrelevant," Mr Holyoake said.
"No one gets left behind."
The local riders range in age from 12 years old to more than 80 years old.
Mr Holyoake has been going on the ride for nine years now and said he'll be back next year.
"It's grown massively," he said.
Every motorcycle on the ride will have a black toy dog called Winston on board.
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald. Email: afalkenmire@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald. Email: afalkenmire@austcommunitymedia.com.au
