SHITBOX BREAKS FUNDRAISING RECORD

The rally began in Adelaide on Saturday 29 May and covered a 3,800km route to reach Cairns on Friday 2 June. The annual event raised $1.64 million for cancer research, its best result ever. As more donations come in, that tally will climb even further.

 Founder James Freeman said the amount included $36,500 raised by an auction and buy-back of the colourful vehicles in Cairns.

 He also announced the 2018 Shitbox route will be Brisbane to Darwin.

 “The rally teams’ fundraising effort this year is an extraordinary achievement and something we can be immensely proud of,” James said.

214 shitboxes embarked on the journey but 20 cars did not make it. In most cases, broken-down shitboxes are repaired by teams en route, but if that proves too difficult, volunteer support crew are on hand to revive the vehicles and help them re-join the rally. It was one of those support crew members, Alex Hallowell, who today proposed to girlfriend Alicia Jeffree in front of hundreds of celebrating rally members.

 Shitbox Rally is one of Australia’s most successful charity car rallies and this eighth rally adds to the remarkable $7.52 million it has raised since 2010.

James thanked rally sponsors Bingle, Rally School, Manheim, Move Yourself and Atomix, as well as the Outback communities who warmly hosted the rally along the route.

 “This year’s rally included our most-ever number of unsealed roads and also took us to some incredibly beautiful, more isolated locations in Australia. We camped in Roxby Downs, Oodnadatta Alice Springs, Tobermorey Station, Burke and Wills Roadhouse, and Einasleigh. In every stop, the locals made us feel very welcome and in fact some even donated back to the cause.”

Shitbox Rally is not a race, but a challenge to drive cars worth $1,000 or less across some of Australia’s toughest roads to raise money for cancer research. James Freeman founded Shitbox Rally in 2009 after both of his parents died from cancer within 12 months of each other. It has become the largest independent fundraiser for the Cancer Council nationally.

To find out more about the rally including registering to take part, please see www.shitboxrally.com.au