The four-day bike ride will involve 18 employees who have so far raised more than $20,000 for pet rescue, a not-for-profit organisation directly helping with bushfire efforts.

“We have been in training for five or six months and done about 5000km over that time, everyone has really got in there and done the work,” chief executive officer David Ansell said.

“We have got a couple more rides to go before we leave on Friday.”

Mr Ansell said the ride was also a way of celebrating Mars’s commitment to regional Australia.

“We are one of the few companies that manufacture products in regional Australia and this ride will connect the two factories,” he said.

Each donation on behalf of the ride to pet rescue is used towards helping families and their pets affected by the bushfires.

“If someone needs a dog kennel because theirs burnt down then this money will go straight to them,” he said.

To make a donation, log on to www.petrescue.com.au/dog-adoption -ride