A fleet of 24 quirky cars set off last Saturday on the wesCarpade journey to create a better life for children living with cancer.
Each vehicle, which is elaborately decorated and at least 20 years old, has fundraised a minimum of $5000 for Camp Quality.
The outback motoring adventure involves travelling over 3500km on a round trip from Port Denison to Geraldton from September 3 to 10.
Along the way, wesCarpadians are visiting primary schools with the Camp Quality puppets which help dispel common myths and misconceptions about cancer in an engaging, safe and effective way.
Each team spends the year dressing the car up, making it roadworthy and encouraging people to sponsor them for their week-long adventure.
Tony Taylor of Donnybrook Building Company and John Sheehan of The Fruit Barn will drive a 1968 ex- ambulance truck.
This year, “The Fruitiers” have designed the vehicle with animals in the theme of “Old MacDonald”.
"It's basically about doing something for the kids who have cancer and their parents. It ends up being a week of good fun and the kids benefit from it,” Tony said.
The Fruitiers are aiming to raise $20,000.
Tony’s mum hand-painted the artwork on the vehicle, so he named it “The Nettley” after her.
The aim is to raise $1,000,000 – enough for Camp Quality to support all families in WA who have a child living with cancer for the next year, through its resilience-building programs.
Donnybrooker Jim Stewart of GJ Freight has “Batmobile 10”, “Superman 75”, and new vehicle “Lest We Forget” entered this year.
He said the latter was done up like an army vehicle and was in respect for past and present servicepeople across Australia.
"We supply the transport and truck for the Camp Quality run, we have two drivers in that," Jim said.
"We've got a Batman and a Superman dressed up for it."
They have a fundraising target of about $80,000 between the three vehicles.
"We get involved because we so many people have been touched somewhere in their lives by somebody affected by cancer.
"It's just a great charity to make people aware of."
Along the way, the vehicles will pull into towns in a fanfare of sirens, horns, water cannons, lights and colour.
Bridgetown couple Trudy and Keith Clothier are members of the support crew.
"We help with fun stops, medical, and generally help to entertain and ensure everyone is having a good time,” Trudy said.
For more information about wesCarpade or to donate, visit:
wescarpade.org.au