What’s Happening?
The Freedom Riders Association has delivered its largest donation yet to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, presenting a $20,200 cheque at the organisation’s Townsville Base on 10 November 2026.
Six members of the motorcycle group attended the presentation following its annual fundraising ride from Kurrimine Beach to Karumba.
The group has supported the Flying Doctor through the ride for more than five years, bringing together motorcyclists from Townsville and beyond.
Why It Matters
The donation will support the Royal Flying Doctor Service’s work caring for patients across regional, rural and remote Queensland.
The organisation’s Townsville Base Support Manager, Gail Hills, said the riders’ commitment reflected an understanding of the distances faced by people living in remote communities.
“Their ride takes them from the coast right out to the Gulf, through the same kind of country our crews cover every day. They understand better than most how far people can be from help, and why it matters that the Flying Doctor is there.”
Local Impact
The Freedom Riders have developed a longstanding relationship with the Townsville Base, returning each year to support its work.
Hills said the group’s involvement had become particularly meaningful to local staff. “The Freedom Riders have become part of the RFDS family here in Townsville. Every year they come back to support us and they out do themselves,” Hills said.
By The Numbers
- $64,400: Total contributed by the Freedom Riders to the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section) over more than five years.
- Around 60 riders: The number of motorcyclists who typically take part in the annual fundraising journey.
- More than eight hours: The duration of the ride from Queensland’s east coast to the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Zoom In
Freedom Riders President Mick Langrope said the club’s experiences travelling Queensland’s outback roads had given members a greater appreciation of the Flying Doctor’s work.
“When you spend as much time exploring Queensland’s outback roads as we do, you really start to appreciate what the Flying Doctor means to people out there,” Langrope said.
The annual journey takes riders across remote stretches of Queensland, with this year’s fundraising effort setting a new record for the club.
Zoom Out
During the last financial year, the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section) provided more than 81,263 occasions of care across Queensland, including more than 2,346 patient transfers from its Townsville Base.
Hills said the organisation remained committed to providing care regardless of where patients lived. “We’re committed to care no matter the distance, because where someone lives should never dictate the care they receive. Support like this helps us make sure every Queenslander stays within reach of care.”
What To Look For Next?
The Freedom Riders plan to continue their annual fundraising journey next year. “We’ll be back on the bikes next year to do it all again,” Langrope said.
Anyone wishing to support the organisation can donate, fundraise or find further information through the Royal Flying Doctor Service Queensland website.
