IN memory of his late son, Bailey, who passed away in 2012 at just eight years of age, Roger Fuller from Bendigo and a team of 15 cyclists jumped on their bikes last week and rode 700km over five days to raise $100,000 for Make-A-Wish Australia.
This inspiring endurance event started in Albury and headed south through Victoria, stopping at Shepparton, Bendigo, Ballarat and Queenscliff before finishing at Albert Park in Melbourne.
At the age of three, Roger’s son Bailey (known as Bays) was diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy.
Doctors never expected Bays to ride a bike but he proved them wrong, fostering his love for cycling.
Roger and his wife Andrea were in the early stages of applying to Make-A-Wish to grant Bays’ wish, when he tragically passed away.
With his passion for bikes, dad Roger knew Bays’ wish would have been focused on bike-riding.
When their world turned upside down, Roger didn’t want to let Bays’ dream to fade away.
“One of the most precious parts of our life was gone just like that. I still wanted to find a way to grant his wish, even though we didn’t have him anymore. So, we decided to fulfil his wish to ride on his behalf,” said Roger.
“We’re so grateful for their support and incredibly proud we’ve been able to play a part in granting wishes for sick kids like Bays.”
The inaugural Bays’ Wish team smashed Roger’s original fundraising target of $10,000, raising more than $61,000 for Make-A-Wish Australia in 2019.
With the 2020 ride cancelled due to COVID-19, the team is hoping to exceed expectations again by raising $100,000 in 2021.
