August 2012 - Ride for Life 2012

The 2012 Ride for life was held on Sunday 12th August to coincide roughly with David's 21st birthday. About 25 of David's friends and family rode a new route along the various bike paths along Gardiner's Creek between the Hawthorn velodrome and High Street Road. Many commented they were unaware that so many bike paths existed so close to home. The ride finished at the 13th Malvern Scout Hall, where the usual sausage sizzle and release of 110 orange balloons occurred.

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19th February 2012 - Launch of Donate Life Week 2012

Margaret Bland, David's mother, launched Donate Life Week in Victoria at the Royal Melbourne Hospital on Sunday 19th February 2012. The launch featured release of a DVD that will be provided to families faced with having to make a decision about organ donation from a loved one, and has been produced using funds raised by the David Bland Ride for Life.

Further information about the launch can be found on the DonateLife website.

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October 2011 - 2011 Ride for Life

The 2011 Ride for Life was held on the afternoon of Sunday 23rd October. This time the Ride was a low-profile event, with approximately 30 of David's family and friends taking part in Ride over a new route of approximately 25 km from East Malvern to Birrarung Marr via the Gardiner's Ck bike path, and returning to the Oak Grove Scout Hall in East Malvern via a route through the quieter streets of Toorak, Armadale and Malvern. At the scout hall, we had the usual sausage sizzle, and released 110 orange balloons in David's memory.

We tried the new route with a view to using it for a much larger event some time in the future, but so far we have been unable to get the support we need to organise such a large event through busy suburbs. The view of those on the ride was that the route wasn't really suitable for families with young children, and we were unlikely to be able to organise the necessary road closures. Back to the drawing board to come up with a plan for next year!

October 2010 - 2010 Ride for Life

The 2010 Ride for Life was held on the afternoon of Sunday 24th October. Approximately 120 riders rode from the Hawtorn velodrome to Birrarung Marr and back, once again in perfect weather. Back at the velodrome we heard from Martin Dutch about how a liver transplant had transformed the life of his 2-year old daughter Abbey. Abbey then drew the raffle. The event raised about $2000, which will be used by Ride for Life for organ donation promotional activites, at the request of Donate Australia. Once again, the 13th Malvern Scouts' excellent sausage sizzle proved a great attraction to weary cyclists. We are very grateful to photographer Daniel Lawson whose work at the Ride can be viewed here and here.

May 2010 - Ride for Life receives support from UK riders

Tom Hudson and Jodie Burton left the UK at the beginning of May to ride to Australia, and then to NZ. They want to be in NZ in time for some sort of World Cup in 2011, so we can be fairly sure they won't be stopping at the centre of the universe (the MCG) for the Grand Final. Expected time of arrival in Darwin is March 2011, followed by Melbourne a few weeks later. They will be promoting organ donation, and the Ride for Life. You can read more about their ride here.

December 2009 - Donation to LifeGift

David's mother Margaret presented LifeGift with a cheque for $1500 which will allow production of information that can be given to families about to make a decision about organ donation. For more information about this material click here (PDF 105 kB)

October 2009 - 2009 Ride for Life

The 2009 Ride for Life was held on the afternoon of Sunday 4th October. Approximately 120 riders took part in perfect weather, thanks largely to our man at the Bureau. Once again, we rode from the Hawthorn velodrome to Birrarung Marr and back. Two of David's friends from school, Tom Chambers and Angus McCubbing told us some stories of what they and David used to get up to, and then David's friends from school rode laps of the velodrome to commemorate the time David rode 110 laps aged 6. We released 110 orange balloons. Mill Repse told us how his life had improved immensely after he had received a new kidney, and Bernie Dwyer told us about her work co-ordinating donations. The 13th Malvern Scouts kept us all well-refreshed and fed with another excellent barbeque.

Thanks to our sponsors for enabling us to oragnise a very successful raffle.

We will be announcing shortly how much money was raised for LifeGift.

June 2009 - Date set for 2009 Ride for Life

The 2009 Ride for Life will be held on the afternoon of Sunday 4th October. The format will be similar to 2007 and 2008. Details and entry form can found here.

March 2009 - Donation to LifeGift

David's mother Margaret presented LifeGift with a cheque for $5000 which will allow production of information that can be given to families about to make a decision about organ donation. For more information about this material click here (PDF 105 kB)

The money donated to LifeGift comprised proceeds from the 2008 Ride, money raised by Suzuki Music at their 2008 Playathon, and money raised by Korowa in 2007 (see below).

October 2008 - Ride for Life

The 2008 Ride for Life was held on the afternoon of Sunday 4th October. Approximately 200 riders rode from the Hawthorn velodrome to Federation Square and back. At the velodrome, 11 of David's friends rode 10 laps of the velodrome to commemorate the time David, aged 6, rode 110 laps on his own. 110 orange helium balloons (David's favorite colour) were released. Vanessa Memmolo told us how her two-year old daughter Annabel had had a liver transplant the previous year, and how her health had improved enormously. Annabel entertained us all with her cute smile.

November 2007 - Ride for Life supports Andrew Kane Memorial Day

Ride for Life will be supporting the Andrew Kane Memorial Day on Sunday 9th December 2007, by donating blood at the Ringwood Donor Centre. Andrew was 17 when he became an organ donor in December 2005 after being a blood donor from 16, so a blood donor day seems to be an appropriate way to remember him.

If you are not yet a blood donor, you can register here.

A larger copy of the Andrew Kane poster can be downloaded here (JPG 223 kB)

October 2007 - Further donation received from Korowa

Akehurst House at Korowa held a trivia lunch as part of their annual fund raising effort, and donated the proceeds to Ride for Life. Questions included items related to cycling and organ donation, as well as the usual ones, and orange wrist bands were sold.

September 2007 - Donation received from Korowa

The collection from Korowa Anglican Girls' School confirmation service was donated to Ride for Life. This will be used to assist our efforts to promote awareness of organ donation.

May 2007 - Donation made to LifeGift

David's mother Margaret presented LifeGift with a cheque for $3000 which will allow production of information that can be given to families about to make a decision about organ donation.

Additional orange wristbands have been received and will be distributed by the end of May to all those who requested them at the Ride on 18th March. Sorry about the delay. If there's anyone who didn't request one, and would still like one, please let us know by email.

March 2007 - Melbourne Ride for Life

Around 300 cyclists set off on Sunday 18th March from the Hawthorn velodrome for a leisurely ride along the Yarra to the Federation Bells in Birrarung Marr. A minute's silence was held there to remember David. Meanwhile at the velodrome, the 13th Malvern Cubs completed 2 sets of 110 laps to remember David's solo effort of 1996, aged 5.

David's mother Margaret told everyone what David had been like, and what his death had meant to his family, and why they had decided to promote Organ Donation Awareness. Josh Moorman, who recently rode his bike from Brisbane to Melbourne, described how his family felt when his mother received a liver transplant 18 months ago. 110 orange helium balloons were released to mark David's passing.

Special thanks to weather bureau for turning on such a beautiful day!

March 2007 - Canberra Ride for Life takes off!

Three brave cyclists completed a 30 km circuit of Lake Burley Griffin in perfect weather on Saturday 17th March. Many thanks guys for getting the ball rolling and doing your bit for Organ Donation Awareness.

February 2007

David's family cycled to Federation Square to congratulate Josh Moorman on his epic bike ride from Brisbane to Melbourne. Josh left Brisbane on Sunday 11th February and arrived in Melbourne exactly 2 weeks later, having cycled over 1800 km. Well done, Josh! Josh's ride was prompted by his mother's receiving a liver transplant. On his arrival in Melbourne Josh presented David's mother Margaret with the "Flame of Life". The ceremony was organised by LifeGift as part of Organ Donor Awareness Week.

January 2007

One of David’s great loves was bike riding.  He took to it very quickly and abandoned his  trainer wheels at the first opportunity.  His first major ride at five years of age was from his home in East Malvern to the velodrome on the Gardiner’s Creek bike path to meet the local Scout group.  While families and friends picnicked at the electric barbeques, David circled the velodrome, eventually completing 110 laps.   Onlookers watched in amazement at David’s tenacity and fierce determination.  These were qualities he carried throughout his life.  David went on many more rides with family and friends.  His endurance and consideration for others was appreciated by friends on a ride in 2005 when he rode up a steep hill, rode back down to help his friends, and then rode back up the hill again.