The Katherine community is gearing up to get behind this year's Katherine Black Dog Ride by registering to ride or by participating in local fundraising activities to help start a national conversation about depression and suicide prevention.
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The Black Dog Ride 'One Dayer' is a short, one day motorcycle ride to be held in more than 40 communities across Australia on Sunday, March 17, 2024.
This year's Katherine ride will leave from the Katherine Visitor Information Centre and take participants on a journey to Lazy Lizards Pine Creek for a day of connection, conversation and fundraising.
There were 6,000 participants across the nation in last year's event, but organisers are hopeful more community members will get involved in 2024 to make it the biggest event yet.
Katherine coordinator Leigh Kariko, said joining the Black Dog Ride was an enjoyable and meaningful activity in a bid to start conversations about depression and suicide prevention.
"More than 3,000 lives are lost to suicide in Australia every year, and one in five Aussies will be affected by mental illness every year, with three million living with depression or anxiety," Mr Kariko said.
"The tragic loss of loved ones to suicide is what drives Black Dog Ride to build a community culture of awareness, inclusion and acceptance, and we'd love for more people from the local community to get behind that in 2024."
By participating in the event, locals will help to break down the barrier of silence and encourage friends, family and colleagues to seek help to manage mental illness so they can lead a meaningful, fulfilling life.
Black Dog Ride Australia General Manager Lawson Dixon said fostering awareness was the catalyst for encouraging help seeking behaviour and preventing suicide.
"We've been helping Aussies have conversations about mental health and suicide prevention for almost 14 years and we know that every conversation, every activity, every ride and every piece of awareness we help create has the potential to change lives for the better," he said.
"Last year we were thrilled to have 6,000 people across the country register for their local One Dayer rides - this year we're calling on the community to help us register 8,000 riders to help support our cause."
Funds raised will help contribute to the Black Dog Ride Australia Community Grants program, which is focused on supporting initiatives that help people who suffer from mental illness, help prevent suicide, and raise awareness of both mental health and suicide prevention.
Local schools, clubs, community groups and individuals can also raise awareness of depression and suicide prevention and support the vital work of Black Dog Ride by organising local fundraising activities and events.
Locals are encouraged to register for this year's event by February 1 via the registration website.
https://events.humanitix.com/katherine-nt-black-dog-ride-1-dayer-2024
