Around 30 cyclists will arrive in Bega on Monday as part of an epic ride supporting the work of Dementia Australia.
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Bondi2Berry is an annual ride out of Sydney's eastern suburbs taking in parts of the Royal National Park on the way to Wollongong, Kiama and finishing in Berry that afternoon.
However, for some, that 155km journey isn't enough of a challenge so they have pushed out their finish line to Brighton Beach in Victoria some eight days later.
They will cycle through Batemans Bay, Bega, Gipsy Point, Orbost, Sale and Warragul before finishing at Brighton Beach, Victoria, on Saturday, September 14.
The ride is all about raising awareness of dementia.
The goal for 2019 is to raise $200,000 for Dementia Australia, with all funds raised by the ride going towards researching a cure and associated research projects.
Organisers Nick Young and Pierre Sullivan have first-hand experience of dementia.
Both of Mr Young's grandmothers died after living with dementia, and his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2011. Mr Sullivan's mother was diagnosed with dementia in 2015.
Mr Young said he is looking forward to visiting some great communities and exploring new locations on the ride this year.
"This is the fourth year of the event and we wanted to do something a bit different, raise the stakes," Mr Young said.
"Not only are we taking a group of dedicated riders all the way down to Brighton Beach in Victoria - an incredibly challenging 1200km ride - we are also increasing our fundraising target to $200,000.
"We are always looking for new challenges and ways to keep the event interesting and I am looking forward to pushing myself to the limit on the ride down to Brighton and raising awareness of dementia."
READ MORE: C3 cyclists doing it for Bega Valley kids
Mr Sullivan said the community behind the ride continues to grow and surprise him with their dedication to the event.
"Every year I am astonished by the level of support we receive from our Bondi2Berry community," Mr Sullivan said.
"We started with 40 riders in 2016 and each year the number of people participating and funds raised increases.
"This year, with 120 riders registered for both events, we are aiming to raise $200,000.
"Our Bondi2Berry community of participants, volunteers, donors and sponsors continue to go above and beyond to make this event possible and we couldn't do it without them."
Dementia Australia CEO Maree McCabe thanked the Bondi2Berry organising committee for the extraordinary work they put into making this event happen each year.
"Bondi2Berry is Dementia Australia's largest national community fundraising event and the team behind the event continue to do a fantastic job year after year," Ms McCabe said.
"It is wonderful to see the dedication shown by the entire Bondi2Berry community to raise support and vital funds for Dementia Australia and the estimated 447,000 Australians living with dementia today.
"On behalf of Dementia Australia I would like to thank the entire Bondi2Berry community including the many riders, sponsors and volunteers that make this event possible."
For more information about Bondi2Berry and Bondi2Brighton - and how to donate - visit www.bondi2berry.com
