Organisers of the annual Toyota Tour de OROC are targeting a funding boost of $100,000 for the Macquarie Homestay facility the bike ride was founded to support.
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The world record setting effort, which charges riders with travelling on a 1,100km round trip across the wider Orana region in support of the Macquarie Homestay, has grown this year, with a new stop at Lightning Ridge added to this year's itinerary.
This year, the challenge will return to it's first starting point in Dubbo, after previous years began from Wellington and Mudgee, as various legs of the tour will take riders through Coonamble, Walgett, Bourke, Cobar and various others.
Founder and chair of the organising committee for Rotary Mathew Dickerson was on hand at the launch to speak about the event's history, it's goals and why it's needed.
"It's a great example of a community coming together to get an outcome for the wider community - and in fact, we're not just dealing with a community, but an entire region," Mr Dickerson said.
Managing Director at the Homestay, Rod Crowfoot said the homestay is getting to the point where it's 'bursting to the seams' and that the contributions from Tour de OROC 2019 would go towards expanding infrastructure.
"Macquarie Homestay is very, very thankful and grateful to the organisers of Tour de OROC," Mr Crowfoot said.
"There's no doubt that we wouldn't exist without the support of the last three bike rides and what they've done is both financially assisted us to get capital so we can build infrastructure."
"They've also shared the opportunity with the communities that there's a facility in Dubbo for people who need to travel across the region to get care."
Mr Crowfoot said that even in the relatively short time the Homestay has been operational, they've hosted visitors from as far as the Queensland border, through to Broken Hill.
"The actual footprint of where people are coming from is quite awesome,' Mr Crowfoot said.
To date, the Tour has raised over $400,000 to support the Macquarie Homestay.
