David Batterham with the Giant Revolt that carried him across South Australia and Queensland and is now being raffled to raise money for NeuroEndocrine Cancer Australia. Photo: Supplied
The bike that carried former Moree local David Batterham across South Australia and Queensland is about to get a new owner.
David is raffling his red Giant Revolt, along with the touring equipment that travelled with him, to raise more money for NeuroEndocrine Cancer Australia.
Tickets are $5 each or five for $20, with the winner to be drawn on November 10, Neuroendocrine Cancer Day.
David now lives in Goondiwindi, but his connection to the Moree district runs deep. His parents farmed near Pallamallawa, he attended Pallamallawa Public School and later Moree High School, and he and his late wife Jude lived in Moree for several years.
That connection brought David back through Pallamallawa during his latest fundraising journey, where he helped his old school raise money towards new playground equipment.
“I was coming back through there and I approached the school and had a yarn to them and they brought up that they were trying to raise money for new playground equipment,” David said.
“I thought, well, yeah, I’d love to. So yeah, I gave them a hand.”
The journey was part of David’s continuing fundraising efforts following Jude’s death from neuroendocrine cancer.
Now he hopes the bike that carried him through the cycling leg of that journey can keep raising money even though he has climbed out of the saddle.
The Giant Revolt is just over three years old, a men’s medium and set up as a road bike, although it can be converted for gravel riding with a change of tyres.
David said the bike remained in “Mickey Mouse condition”.
“I paid $3,500 for it,” he said.
“If someone buys a ticket for $5, they’ve got themselves one hell of a push bike.”
The winner won’t just get the bike.
David is including the touring equipment used on his journey, including saddle bags, a rear pannier, flag, tent, spare parts, tubes and drink bottles.
David already has a racing bike at home and decided there was more value in putting the Giant towards another cause than keeping it.
“I just made the decision that I’d give it to Neuroendocrine Cancer, and then they would just raffle it off or however they wanted,” he said.
Asked whether it would be difficult to finally hand over the bike, David admitted there were mixed feelings.
“Yes and no,” he said.
“I’ve made up my mind. It’s been a beautiful bike and it still is a beautiful bike.”
And the eventual winner won’t necessarily have to make the trip to Goondiwindi to collect it.
“I’ll deliver it,” David said.
“They haven’t got to come to Gundy unless they want to go for a drive.”
