After leaving Melbourne today, the group will arrive in Echuca-Moama on Saturday before departing for Albury-Wodonga and Narooma, making their way back to Melbourne via Gippsland as part of the Monkey off Your Back Ride.
Members of the Laser and O’Brien Electrical and Plumbing groups have come together from across Australia and New Zealand for the ride.
With one in eight Australian men experiencing depression and one in five experiencing anxiety during their lifetime, mental health is a cause the plumbers and electricians of the group are passionate about, with Laser Electrical Lilydale managing director Mark Hailes leading the charge for the ride.
‘‘We know men are less likely to seek help for mental health issues than women are, and this was the primary reason we started the ride,’’ Mark said.
‘‘As well as raising funds and awareness for Beyond Blue, just as important is that on the ride, we get blokes talking, something which we know blokes simply don’t do enough.’’
Riding more than 3500km, the riders will be taking on the Great Ocean Road before stopping at Portland and Mount Gambier on their first day.
They will then make their way along the Murray River before returning to Melbourne via the Snowy Mountains and Gippsland.
Jo Lowndes from O’Brien Electrical and Mel Slattery from O’Brien Plumbing are supporting the ride, providing lunch for the riders and the opportunity for locals to come and meet Mr Richards and see the Porsche GT3 111 he races in the Porsche Carrera Cup.
Fans can also get photos and autographs for a gold coin donation.
As part of a male-dominated industry, Mel and Jo said they were proud to be a part of a network making a difference in the area of mental health.
‘‘Being a business owner can be stressful and it’s easy to hide how you may be feeling. Add to that being in a regional area and at times, you can feel quite isolated,’’ Mel said.
‘‘Getting men to talk about their problems can be hard but having seen how supportive the men of Laser and O’Brien are towards each other has been comforting.
‘‘We know that we are not alone and with events like the Monkey Off Your Back Ride, our employees see that they can talk about any issues.’’
Jo said support from local businesses had also been outstanding.
‘‘Bowser Beans in Moama have donated fuel and coffee to the ride and Moama Meats have donated the meat for the barbecue,’’ she said.
‘‘This enables the group to donate more money to the work of Beyond Blue. All contributions make a difference and we are extremely appreciative of their support.’’
Customers of O’Brien Electrical and Plumbing and fans of Mr Richards are invited to visit O’Brien Electrical Echuca-Moama, 32 Meninya St, Moama on Saturday from 1.30pm and meet the reigning Bathurst 1000 champion.
