A stream of men on postie bikes stopped to fill up at Robert Cox Motors on Monday, 21 March, as they rode across Victoria, raising funds to support regional hospitals in the fight against prostate cancer.

The riders were hot and tired after a long ride from Swan Hill, part of a four-day ride that raised $175,000 towards machinery in rural hospitals.

Chair of the not-for-profit foundation Robert Glover told the Times, “We’ve raised over 1.5 million dollars since the beginning, and every dollar we raise goes to the cause. We pay for our own petrol, accommodation and food. The funds raised have provided transperineal biopsy machines and specialist care for rural hospitals around Australia, and today’s ride will assist in providing two more machines, one for a hospital in Shepparton and another for Hobart.”

Each year over 3,300 men in Australia die of prostate cancer, with more than 20,000 men diagnosed each year. Transperineal biopsy machines (TBM) assist with early detection, which can save lives. By ensuring rural hospitals have TBMs means rural men don’t have to travel long distances to access the life-saving equipment.

In 2013 a group of men, most of who had never ridden a bike before, purchased postie bikes and rode from Perth to Melbourne, raising half a million dollars for prostate cancer. In 2015 the Male Bag Foundation was formed with the support of AFL legend David Parkin.

A hot and tired David Parkin said, “As a prostate cancer survivor, I know firsthand how important it is to raise awareness and funds to fight this insidious disease.”

This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 1 April 2022.