CanTeen Victorian Division

Annual Motorcycle Ride Day Report

Sunday 20th February 2005

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Congratulations to all the motorcyclists of Victoria who joined with the V.M.M.A. Inc. to once again provide the Victorian Division of CanTeen with their Annual Motorcycle Ride Day.

No words required. 

The V.M.M.A. started planning for this event in April 2004, immediately after the March 2004 Annual Motorcycle Ride Day to Coal Creek, planning consisted of securing a venue for the event along with gaining support from other groups within the community to provide a zero budget Motorcycle Ride Day in February 2005.

Motorcyclists & CanTeen registering at departure point at Royal Childrens Hospital. 

Puckapunyal Army Base became the venue and the following support was gained from Kilmore Lodge No. 32 provided morning tea at Kilmore, Spotless Catering provided the Barbeque Lunch at Puckapunyal Army Base, Army Divisions at Puckapunyal provided displays of their toys including Tanks, Trucks & Artillery Launchers, Camel reenactment Division provide two Camels to be ridden and the Tank Museum was open they also provide Army Military Police on motorcycles to escort the group on and off the Army Base, Whittlesea Lodge No. 256 organised the afternoon ice creams and drinks at the Wallan Wallan truck rest area, they also involved the Diamond Valley Lodge No. 252 and the following three CFA Units Wallan, Kalkallo and Kilmore.

A total of 56 motorcyclist who have registered as Canteen Volunteers turned out for the day, 36 CanTeen Members plus 8 support staff participated in the days activities.

Departure point at Royal Childrens Hospital. 

We departed the Royal Childrens Hospital at 9.00 a.m. for the ride up to Kilmore, it was overcast and cool during this part of the journey and the traffic was light all the way to Kilmore. The stop at Kilmore was to partake in morning tea provided by the Kilmore Lodge No. 32, this Lodge when first approached to gain their support informed us that they were surrendering their Warrant prior to this event, they then made the decision to delay the Surrender of the Warrant to a date after the event so they could provide the morning tea.

Kilmore Lodge will be forming a new Lodge in conjunction with Broadford Lodge No. 174, it was good to see Broadford Lodge assisting at Kilmore.

CanTeen members made a number of presentations during the morning tea, it is tradition that presentations be carried out by CanTeen members, presentation was made to the Kilmore Lodge for their support of the event and the Patron of the V.M.M.A. John Wilson was presented with a V.M.M.A. name badge "The Boss", John was quick to point out that the presentation must be a mistake for Lois was over there!!

Presentations at Kilmore to both Kilmore Lodge and V.M.M.A. Patron John Wilson. 

After morning tea we departure from Kilmore for Puckapunyal Army Base, on arrival at the entrance to the Base the Military Police on motorcycles greeted us and provided a escort onto the Base and to our lunch area at the Tank Museum.

Whilst at Puckapunyal Army Base we partook in a BBQ lunch of which the food was provide by Spotless Catering along with some Spotless employees who volunteered to assist with lunch in their own time.

Puckapunyal Army Base provided via active Divisions at the Base various static display of their toys, camel rides and opened up their Tank Museum to the group, soldiers were all to willing to discuss their toys and assist the CanTeen members to have a good look around.

Some of the group at Puckapunyal Army Base. 

Once again prior to departure of Puckapunyal the CanTeen members made a number of presentations, one was to the V.M.M.A. President Matt Turner for being the driving force over the past two years to provide this Motorcycle Ride Day (it was well deserved), another was to Puckapunyal Army Base for their support of the event and lastly the V.M.M.A. Vice President Erwin Schweitzer accepted the the last presentation on behalf of the V.M.M.A.

V.M.M.A. Vice President Erwin Schweitzer accepting presentation. 

At 3.00 p.m. we departed from Puckapunyal for the return trip back to the R.C.H., a stopped was planned for the Wallan Wallan Truck rest area were the Whittlesea Lodge was supporting the event by providing cold drinks and ice creams, they had also organised for three CFA Units Wallan, Kalkallo and Kilmore to be at the stop to display their trucks and gear, CanTeen members acknowledged the Whittlesea Lodge for their support by making a presentation to them.

CanTeen members at Wallan Wallan rest stop.

The V.M.M.A. would once again wish to acknowledge the support by all those involved in providing this Annual Motorcycle Ride day for CanTeen.

Reported by CW