The 2024 Two Rivers Run tractor trek has raised $45,000 for MND Research Australia.
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Participants travelled throughout the Southern Riverina and Murrumbidgee on the trek, which was started by Ian Sneddon in 2014.
It initially raised money for men’s health, but this changed to MND in 2018 after Mr Sneddon’s diagnosis.
Before this year the trek had raised $10,500 for Men’s Health and $64,000 for MND, with a few smaller donations to SIDS and Mathew West Endeavor Scholarship.
Organisers said this year’s effort surpassed all expectations, raising $45,000 for MND Research Australia and $2000 for the Mathew West Endeavor Scholarship.
This was also the first Two Rivers Run organised under the banner of a new club, Riverina Trekkers inc.
The trek comprised 31 vintage tractors and one Willys Jeep, along with the hard working support crew.
It started with a welcome barbecue at Berrigan Recreation Grounds before departing on Sunday morning for a Murray River photo shoot at Tocumwal.
Tractors then travelled to the historic North Tuppal Woolshed for lunch, before going to Blighty recreation grounds for the overnight stop.
From Blighty they went to Mayrung Hall where the local school children were shown the tractors before being presented with a bag of donated goodies.
Then it was off to Conargo to enjoy a drink at the pub and a visit from the Conargo Public School children who were also presented with a bag of goodies.
After dinner, prepared by the school P&C, there was a whip cracking demonstration.
Next morning the trek was off on a long straight run to Carrathool, with a morning tea stop near the Steam Plains gateway and lunch along the Cooinbul Station entrance, then on to Carrathool to camp on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River.
Next day it was off to Darlington Point Sports Club via the River Road, enjoying smoko and lunch stops in the breeze along the roadside, before camping at the back of the club. On departing Darlington Point, the support vehicles travelled ahead while the tractors drove through some private properties to the smoko spot at Tubbell Rural Fire Shed, where Keith Burge gave a talk about irrigation and the cotton crops that are grown in the area.
Barbecue lunch was at Gidgell Rural Fire Shed and the next stop was overnight at Coleambally Football Grounds where the first public auction raised just over $10,300.
The following morning the trek departed from Coleambally, with morning tea at Yamma Rural Fire Shed before departing for Bundurra Station woolshed for the lunch stop.
It was then across the Newell Highway and onto Colombo Road to camp on the banks of Colombo Creek near the Bolton Fire Shed.
The final day saw morning smoko at a roadside stop near Innes Creek bridge before taking some back roads and travelling through private property to Kelvin Baxter’s depot for a barbecue lunch.
Mr Baxter has an amazing collection of old vehicles and ex-Army vehicles, and gave a tour around his collection before the trek headed back to Berrigan Recreation Grounds.
After the final dinner, served by the Berrigan Cricket Club, another auction was well supported by locals and trekkers alike and raised $10,700.
Organisers said the trek travelled through a diverse range of country and visited some great little townships.
There was a great bunch of participants and a fantastic time was enjoyed by all.
The support provided along the way by the local communities was appreciated.
Donations from this year’s trek will make a total of $125,160 that has been raised since the event’s inception.