Shitbox Rally Autumn 12 - 20 April 2024
James McIntyre & Andy Tomney "No Wukkas" beginning their Shitbox Rally fundraising journey with 'Connie Coupe'
What/Who: Shitbox Rally
Where: Autumn 2024 Rally: Adelaide to Perth
When: 12 - 20 April 2024
How: Donate to James & Andy's fundraising team >>here https://autumn2024.shitboxrally.com.au/no-wukkas
Or Donate to any of the teams >>here https://www.shitboxrally.com.au/teams/
as they continue to raise further funds for their team until the end of the event
Visit: https://www.shitboxrally.com.au/ for more information
The Shitbox Rally
The Shitbox Rally is a fundraising challenge where participants raise money by driving cars worth less than $1,500 across Australia, over some fairly dusty and daunting roads to raise money for cancer research.
Now in their 14th year, the Shitbox Rally community-led fundraiser supports the Cancer Council, a charity working across all areas of cancer in branches throughout Australia. The Cancer Council assist people by undertaking and funding cancer research, offering programs to promote cancer prevention, and providing information and support services for patients and carers affected by cancer.
Autumn 2024 Rally: Adelaide to Perth 12 - 20 April 2024
The SAcommunity Team spent Saturday morning 13 April 2024 at the departure of the Shitbox Rally team, from the Josie Agius Park/Wikaparntu Wirra Park 22 in the Adelaide Parklands.
This time it's personal, I farewelled my brother James and his best mate Andy as they joined 260 other teams along with support vehicles and a total of 400 cars to make the 8- day trip to raise funds for cancer research.
James and Andy's Team 'No Wukkas' departing with well-wishes from Shitbox Rally founder James Freeman
So my brother James McIntyre has joined the Shitbox Rally driving a 'shitbox' - a colloquial and somewhat vulgar term for an old, cheap, run-down car (albeit with some affection), from Adelaide to Perth with his best mate Andy Tomney to raise funds for the Cancer Council.
Will the car make it? Who knows! But they are going to try! After finding their $400 dream car 'Connie the Coupe' which I affectionally call 'Kit' on account of it's similarity with it's namesake in the 80s Knightrider series, okay it's not that similar, you may have to squint to make this happen. James lovingly spent hours with his new automobile passion, pushed out dented side panels, applied colour co-ordinated duct tape (look closely!) to cover the scrapes as needed for that all-over superior exterior finish, discovered spare tires of the right make and model at the autowreckers, engineered a dust filter fix that, while we're on the 80s theme, would make MacGyver proud, and brought her back to life.
Inspired to raise funds for cancer research by our close family members who fought cancer and won, and for those who fought cancer and lost. They have raised $6,650 and aim to reach $7,000 by the journey's end. They haven't achieved this alone, using their wood-working skills to create fundraising gifts including wooden wine caddies, and gift baskets to raise funds towards their cause, they also sought and received donations from friends and family, and in particular, they would like to thank their major sponsors Fleurieu Milk and Sphere Advisory for making this happen. As well as the many other businesses who provided support including Chapel Hill, Wirra Wirra, Duxton Vinyards, Calabria, McClaren Vintners, The Wheatsheaf Hotel, and SA Mushrooms.
Their Team is called No Wukkas and if you would like to make a donation towards his teams fundraising for the Cancer Council (maybe to help them reach $7,000) visit https://autumn2024.shitboxrally.com.au/no-wukkas
Image: James Argent and Daniel Argent with their 1983 Subaru Station Wagon shitbox for the 2014 Shitbox Rally
A Family Event
James follows in the footsteps of his three cousins, brothers: James Argent, Daniel Argent, Luke Argent and friend Travis Hay who set off for the 5th annual Shitbox Rally start on the 31 May 2014, back then the event route ran from Perth to Darwin. "We actually began on the 25 May as we had to drive from Port Lincoln in South Australia to Perth in Western Australia first just to start the challenge" said James Argent.
Inspired by their mother who survived her battle with cancer, they set off in two teams: Argy-Bargy and Argy-Bargy 2 raising more than $8,000 through support from local businesses, and by running sausage sizzles. "Great to see my cousin joining the Shitbox Rally this year, it's become a family fundraiser, a fun way to give back."
Image: Just some of the cars in the 260 teams featured in this year's Shitbox Rally 2024
Ambassador Kennedy joins the Shitbox Rally in 2024
This year Caroline Kennedy the United States ambassador to Australia is also joining in the rally and you can read more about her car Moonshot named after the U.S. Embassy and Consulate's U.S. Australia Cancer Moonshot Initiative on the Shitbox Rally team page or on the US website >>here https://au.usembassy.gov/ambassador-kennedy-joins-the-shitbox-rally/ and watch their youtube link explaining why she decided to participate in the cancer fundraiser.
Interested? You can follow this year's teams via the Shitbox Rally's Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shitboxrally/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/boxrallies
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shitboxrally
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/people/shitboxrally/
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/shitboxrally/videos
Donations for the Shitbox Rally
And remember you can donate at any stage, last time I heard from my brother they had reached Oondnadatta safe and sound and are well on their way.
To donate to James's fundraiser visit https://autumn2024.shitboxrally.com.au/no-wukkas
[Editors note They raised $7,000 for cancer research - Congratulations!]
Or pick any of the teams that appeal to you - it's for a good cause and they are certainly a colourful and inventive bunch >>here https://www.shitboxrally.com.au/teams/ as they continue to raise further funds for their team until the end of the event.
Contribute and Help the Shitbox Rally create a new fundraising record for cancer research!
Image: James Mathew McIntyre with Andy Tomney and Connie the Coupe
