LIFELONG mates Tom O’Toole and Keith McIntosh are on a mission.
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The Beechworth Bakery founder and his childhood friend will travel in Mr O’Toole’s 1930 A Model Ford from the most eastern point of Australia to the west to raise money for cancer research.
They will leave Byron Bay on Wednesday, travelling at 50km/h with a tailwind, bound for Shark Bay, Western Australia.
Mr O’Toole said everyone had been touched by cancer in some way.
“We both lost our mums to cancer and my brother has stage 4 cancer,” he said.
“We’ve (A Model’s) got no doors, no seat belts and no support crew; Keith thinks he’s a mechanic because he fixed his lawnmower once!
“It’s going to be a big trip but it’s nothing compared to what people with cancer are going through.
“Both Keith and I have lost friends and family to cancer, and since this might be the last trip of our ‘awesome threesome’ (A Model included) we thought we’d make it count by raising some money and awareness for cancer research.”
They want to raise $100,000 for the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Centre, the Ballarat-based cancer research centre.
Having done four big treks together in the A Model, Mr McIntosh said this trip would have different challenges.
“There’s a 1200-kilometre stretch of corrugated dirt road for one!” he said.
They aimed to be back at Beechworth in time for Mr McIntosh’s 50th wedding anniversary on April 27.
To donate, visit easttowest.com.au or drop into Beechworth Bakery.