Fundraising totals for Shitbox and Mystery Box Rally (Box Rallies) have reached over $40 million for Cancer Council. This record-breaking total comes just 13 years after Shitbox Rally launched.
Proudly Cancer Council’s biggest national fundraiser, Shitbox Rally challenges teams of two to drive a car worth less than $1,500k (aka a ‘shitbox’) across Australia’s dusty outback roads for a week. Whereas for Mystery Box Rally, teams of two must pack their belongings into a car 25 years or older and drive thousands of kilometres over five days with maps of that day’s destination only distributed each morning.
When founder James Freeman launched the rally in 2009, he wanted to find a way to fight for cancer victims and sufferers after losing both his mother and father to cancer in quick succession. With 31 rallies completed to date, it has clearly been a winning formula of hard work, fun and fundraising with participants testing themselves physically, emotionally and spiritually.
James said “I am extremely proud of all participants from our rallies to reach this milestone. $40 million raised in 13 years is extraordinary. To average $3 million per year knowing the first year we raised $104,000 shows the growth and support we and the teams have been given by the wider community. The funds have had a big impact on Cancer Council and the support they have been able to give to their amazing national researchers. The work we have been able to fund is having a direct impact on living with and fighting cancer.
Box Rallies has helped fund over 52 Cancer Council research projects since 2010 with some life-changing outcomes, including:
- Testing new drug combinations for pancreatic cancer
- Preventing people with immune deficiencies from developing lymphoma
- Finding new compounds to target the deadliest type of malignant brain tumour.
- Identifying a treatment to block the development and spread of neuroblastoma cells.
- Identifying a treatment to block the development and spread of neuroblastoma cells and for the therapy of untreatable neuroblastoma – the most prevalent solid tumour in early childhood.
Naomi Watson, Head of Fundraising, Cancer Council NSW said: “So far, we have been able to invest in 52 research projects across Australia, some of the best research that’s coming out of Australian research into cancer, helping us to prevent cancer, detect it earlier and treat it more effectively and less invasively. It is just phenomenal what you and the Box Rallies team have done, we are so thrilled, thank you.”
James said, “It has been a massive 2023 for Box Rallies and we will keep doing what we do and for as long as we can, to keep bringing those funds in and raising funds for cancer research.”
To register your interest in a future rally visit www.boxrallies.com
Contact details:
PR CONTACT:
Katherine Ferris
0429 050 119
For more information visit; www.shitboxrally.com.au or www.mysteryboxrally.com.au
