Craig’s Bucket List Rally was created when Craig Mason left his family with an unfinished bucket list, before sadly passing away in April 2018 from an aggressive form of stomach cancer at the age of 44. Craig was a lover of the Australian outback and had travelled there many times in the past with family and friends but had never taken his children Emerson and Harry along for the ride.
Before he was diagnosed in 2017, he had planned to take his children along the track he had travelled many times before in July 2018, but unfortunately never had the chance.
On Thursday the 4th of July, Craig’s wife Sophie, his children Emerson and Harry and 17 of Craig’s friends will leave Settlers Mulgoa and take part in Craig’s Bucket List Rally, a once in a lifetime rally to the Australian outback over 18 nights.
Sophie and her team created their own rally, whilst raising money for a charity very close to their hearts, Dreams2live4.
Over 8,000kms, 4 Australian states, 18 nights, 10 swags, 1 caravan, 1 camper trailer, 11 adults, 8 kids, 1 baby, a heap of luggage, 20 sleeping bags, 6 4WD’s, loaded eskys, 2 fire barrels, a few of Craig’s hats, 4 GoPros, 1 drone and not forgetting the most important piece of cargo, Craig’s Ashes, will be heading for the trip that Craig never had the chance to complete.
The rally will travel from Mulgoa to Albury, Torquay, Kingston SE, to Port Augusta, Maree, William Creek and Coober Pedy, then to Erldunda, Uluru, Alice Springs and Tobemory. It will then head to Birdsville for the Big Red Bash, to Quilpie, Bourke, Dubbo, a stop at Mudgee, then 18 nights later, finish back at Mulgoa.
“Craig’s Bucket List trip will be a chance for our children to talk about Craig, laugh about Craig but more importantly to see and experience the things Craig always wanted to share with them but never had the chance to” said Sophie to the Mulgoa Valley Gazette.
Currently, as a rally team they have raised over $27,000 for Dreams2live4, a charity who make dreams come true for patients who are living with metastatic cancer. Their dreamers have had the devastating diagnosis of cancer, followed by the gut-wrenching news that it has returned. Living with metastatic cancer can be an overwhelming and gruelling battle. Dreams2Live4 empowers these patients to dream and find purpose again and is the only charity of its type in Australia for adult patients. Dreams2live4 create happy memories for the family members who are left behind.
“Memories are all our children now have of Craig. By us continuing Craig’s Bucket List these memories will keep his memory alive” ended Sophie.