The spin bike room at Atmosphere Fitness in Jamisontown will set the stage for The Big Spin on Thursday, November 28 – a massive fundraising effort which will support over 1,600 families benefiting from Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) in greater western Sydney each year.
Head of Fundraising and Partnerships at RMHC Nermeen Yacoub said up to 30 teams will be participating in the six-hour relay.
“The families that stay with Ronald McDonald House have often travelled more than 100km to come and stay with us at the house, and so we’re replicating that and riding for them so that we can raise money for them to have a place to stay when their children are undergoing treatment,” Yacoub explained.
“At Ronald McDonald House at Westmead there’s 60 units, and families have often come at the very last minute… to get treatment for their child, and so we provide accommodation and meals and education programs and counselling services – essentially we take care of everything so they can just focus on their child.”
The cost-of-living has impacted the charity, with the price of meals and services on the rise.
“It’s very hard to get accommodation around the hospital at Westmead, so the service we provide is really critical, and the more money we raise, the more ability we have to support the community,” Yacoub said.
“We also have meals for any family staying at the hospital, so the local community also benefits from our service.”
Yacoub is calling on Penrith residents to gather family, friends, and coworkers to take on the challenge and help provide families of seriously ill and injured children a home-away-from-home.
Visit http://www.thebigspin.com.au to find more information about the fundraiser and register your team for the relay.
Ally Hall
Ally Hall joined the Weekender in 2024, and focuses on entertainment and community stories. She's a graduate of the University of South Australia and has previously worked as a Video Journalist with Southern Cross Austereo and as a News Reader with Australian Radio Network.