NORTH COAST residents will be able to catch a glimpse of Santa riding his motorcycle Sunday 6th December.
Except there won’t just be one Santa, there will be many.
Community group STEPS 4208, based in Ormeau, is encouraging motorcyclists from the north coast to dress as Santa and travel through Ormeau and Pimpama in hopes of raising funds for mental health research.
“STEPS 4208 is basically a group of people that have come together because we are fully aware of the mental health wellbeing issues in our community, and we know after the year that we’ve had it’s only going to get worse,” Sue Haywood from STEPS 4208 said.
“So we’re trying to organise events to bring people together to basically put a smile on their face, to get them talking and if these people need help, we can get them in touch with the right organisation to help them.”
Money raised from the ride will go towards LIVIN for mental health research, an organisation that delivers a LIVINWell mental health and stigma reduction program to schools and community groups across Australia.
“We’re fully aware that motorcyclists go out for a ride with other motorcyclists for their mental health, basically to get out and about,” Mrs Haywood said. “It seems an obvious decision to do a Santa bike ride in the lead up to Christmas and we wanted to raise funds from the registration from the bike ride to go to LIVIN who are a charity based in Burleigh, for mental health research.
“They do such fantastic work with schools, where they go into highschools and do programs with kids to get them to talk about their mental health.”
The STEPS 4208 Santa Motorbike Ride will start from The Genfit Centre in Ormeau, then head through Ormeau Hills, Ormeau Ridge, and into Pimpama where riders will do a drive past at a Pimpama aged care facility and wave to the residents there. Riders will then finish at The Shearer’s Arms where a family Christmas event will be held.
“At the end of the Santa ride, we will have a Christmas bazaar,” Mrs Haywood said. “We’ll have presentations happening for the Best Dressed Bike and Best Dressed Santa, and we will have market stall holders and food vendors.”
Mrs Haywood said there will also be a special appearance by the Gold Coast City Brass Band who will play Christmas songs and Christmas carols.
STEPS 4208 is also raising awareness of their Christmas Gift Appeal through the Santa Motorbike Ride, which already has gift donation boxes set up throughout the Ormeau community.
“Those gifts are going to underprivileged children in the area and families, as well as the homeless, the elderly and pet rescue.
“We’re just trying to put smiles on people’s faces before Christmas.”
Those interested in joining the STEPS 4208 Santa Motorcycle Ride can register here. Check-in starts at 7:30am at the Genfit Training Centre in Ormeau. To find out more about STEPS 4208, click here.
