When Jock Hough lost his mum Belinda Hough in March 2021 after a long battle with cancer, it was his lifelong best mate Ben Wark who suggested the pair do something special in her memory.
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That something came to fruition in September when the Cudal locals set out to ride 500km and raise $1000 for Cancer Council's Ride500.
Incredibly, within just four weeks, they had well and truly surpassed that target, raising over $12,500 - making them the highest fundraising team for the challenge in the whole state.
"The big message that mum always wanted to get across was not to sort of dwell on it. She was very, very positive right to the minute she died," her son said.
"Her big message was that she was very lucky. She never wanted to create a sad story out of [her cancer diagnosis].
"She [felt that she was] very fortunate. She got another six years and got the treatment and she became friends with all the doctors and the nurses.
"We thank them endlessly - all the doctors and the guys in the palliative care teams, [they're all] pretty amazing," Mr Hough added.
While Mrs Hough was fortunate in that by the time she received her cancer diagnosis she was living close to Orange where she could receive treatment, the experience brought her family in contact with many people who needed to travel from much further away.
In addition to research for a cure, the money raised by Mr Hough and Mr Wark would help Cancer Council provide people with accommodation and other essentials while they received life-saving treatment.
While the pair's fundraising campaign will soon close, it will remain on the Cancer Council website for around another week.
To donate, head to the charity's Ride 500 website and search for their team name 'Green Machine Cycling'.
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