A ROCKINGHAM car dealer rode his motorcycle 2500km across American canyon country to raise money for a mate’s daughter, who was recently diagnosed with cancer.
Nathan Bergmans made the trek to Las Vegas last month as part of the Telethon Adventurer’s USA Tour for a Cure.
A Harley Davidson enthusiast, he joined 12 other riders as they donned their helmets to fundraise and promote awareness of childhood cancer – with a few Ford Mustang convertible lovers tagging along for the drive.
Although he had donated to the non-profit group in the past, Mr Bergmans said he wanted to become more involved to support his best friend and group co-founder Matt Turner.
Mr Turner’s three-year-old daughter Emily was diagnosed with cancer last year.
“Watching the distress he encountered and frustration was truly horrible,” Mr Bergmans said. “So when Matt became a Telethon Adventurer, and started his campaign to bring funding and awareness to something I had witnessed first hand, I too wanted to help.
“If it means just one family does not have to endure the pain of what Matt and many others have (experienced), then I feel it’s a truly wonderful outcome.”
The journey took Mr Bergmans across six well-known American national parks; Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon, Moab, Arches, Dead Horse Point and the Grand Canyon.
Having never done a road trip like this before, he said the hardest part was being away for his son’s 10th birthday.
The tour raised $80,000.
The adventurers’ funding target for 2011 is $2 million, which will go towards buying new equipment and research at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.
Visit www.theadventurers.|com.au.