The Pink Ribbon Ride is a motorbike ride, but we include scooters and trikes, and also spiders, which are three-wheeled bikes. 

It’s a ride that starts off in St Johns and does a 17-kilometre route to Eden Park. We generally have between 300 to 400 bikes, but it really depends on the weather and the numbers of people. We’ve had up to 500 in the past. 

The reason we have the Pink Ribbon Ride is to raise funds for Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, but also, it’s about raising awareness. 

We are a very visual ride, lots of the bikes are dressed in pink. This year the Pink Campervan was with us, we’ve had a pink bus in the past and pink cars as well. 

So, it’s very much about awareness as we ride through the police-approved route. We’re very visual, and also the Breast Cancer Foundation car is with us. 

My favourite part of the ride is getting everybody together and seeing the bikes all come in as they arrive at the beginning. Seeing the spectators as the ride goes past, and the enthusiasm of the bikers. They just so have so much fun. 

They get dressed up. You wouldn’t believe how they get dressed up. We have dogs dressed up, bikes dressed up, guys dressed up with bras on, it’s such a visual experience. 

The ride began in 2004 when I belonged to a women’s motorbike club. At that point, we were supporting another woman’s group but unfortunately, we moved on. Then we followed our Australian counterparts to be supporting Breast Cancer Foundation NZ. 

My motivation is just the fun I have seeing everybody come together and the fact that we raise money for the most amazing cause, Breast Cancer Foundation NZ. 

I feel like we’re coming of age after all these years. Last year was our 20th and it was a big one. But the 21st was extra special for me. Being a part of it for all this time and again, having another special day as we raise – I keep saying it, but it’s what we’re here for – to raise money for Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, which is a big motivation for me. 

Collectively when we included Wellington, and we’ve also got Northland doing their rides as well, we’ve raised over $130,000. 

I think it’s not only raising the money, but also the awareness side of it that we do was as well. It’s important that we support Breast Cancer Foundation NZ. It’s a worthy cause, so many people are affected by it. 

Every year we know of somebody who’s passed on or is going through their, dare I say it, the journey of being in breast cancer. We have a lot of our riders who have had breast cancer or are going through breast cancer. 

We have the Busting With Life ladies who are dragon boaters, and they come and support us and our volunteers. And this year, again, we’ll be having what we call our “Face of the Pink Ribbon Ride” – a lady who’s got breast cancer and is a motorbike rider as well. So many people are involved and so many people are affected by it. 

And the fact that Breast Cancer Foundation NZ doesn’t get any government funding. So it’s really important that the community gets together to support.