The 2016 AMCN Winter Jacket Drive will see the reformation of the team responsible for the 2015 effort – the most successful yet.
Last year’s Jacket Drive was the the first held by AMCN with the assistance of Shannons Insurance together with Victory and Indian Motorcycles in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. With every Shannons Insurance branch around Australia issued with a collection bin, the 2016 AMCN Jacket Drive is now officially underway and will run until Wednesday, 22 June. The distribution phase will then swing into action with Warmth Rides in both Sydney and Melbourne on Monday, 27 June. As in previous years, the AMCN Jacket Drive will wrap up at the Sydney Homeless Connect at Town Hall on Friday, 7 July.
Mobile drop-off point
Anyone who has ridden to the famous Robertson Pie Shop in the middle of winter will know a thing or two about being bloody cold. During last year’s mobile drop off point at the favourite Southern Highlands motorcycle hangout it actually started snowing!
We chose this location for the mobile drop-off point – so our readers can get a small taste of what it’s like to live on the streets in the middle of winter.
This year’s mobile drop-off will be held on Saturday, 25 June. As Dan Strickland and his team from Mission Australia make their way from Goulburn to Sydney for the Warmth Ride they will meet up with the AMCN team at the Robertson Pie Shop from 10am until 12 noon to collect jackets from local motorcycle clubs and riders.
Last year’s mobile drop-off point attracted a number of classic machines including Denis Tobler on his Swiss-made 1915 Motosacoche Especiale. Tobler has thrown the gauntlet down to other classic bike owners this year to match his efforts.
Join the Warmth Ride
Last year Shannons Insurance, along with Victory and Indian Motorcycles, joined AMCN and Mission Australia for the inaugural Warmth Ride, a ride into the heart of Sydney to personally distribute collected jackets to the homeless. And we invited AMCN readers to join us.
This year the Warmth Ride is not only back, it has doubled in size with rides in Sydney and Melbourne.
SYDNEY: Monday, 27 June at 10:00am, 554 Parramatta Road, Ashfield NSW
MELBOURNE: Monday, 27 June at 10:00am, 544 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne Vic.
On arrival at the ride destination, participants will be able to assist the team from Missionbeat with the distribution of bone-warming jackets to those in need.
AMCN would like to invite anyone who has a motorcycle jacket to donate (or is riding with a friend who has a jacket to donate) to join us on one of our Warmth Rides to see first-hand how their generous offer assists someone doing it rough on the streets. No registration is required, just roll up at the Sydney or Melbourne Victory and Indian Motorcycle dealership from 9am on Monday, 27 June and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee with the dealership staff and prepare for a 10:00am departure.