“After 18 years, the Great Escape has evolved into The Great Escape Oz, a fun and adventurous car charity rally supporting another arm of Cystic Fibrosis research via the Cure 4 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (Cure4CF),” Teresa said.
The seven-day charity car rally will be starting in Broken Hill, NSW, on May 1 and finishing in Augathella, Queensland, via Birdsville.
“The Great Escape is a unique way of visiting parts of Australia that are off the common tourist routes, but often on your bucket list,” Teresa said.
The 2022 rally might be barely under way, but Teresa already has plans for the 2023 rally.
“Next year is the 20th anniversary of this event,” she said.
“Out of 20 of us there are only about four of us left that have never missed one, and are founding members in 2002.
“Next year is going to be huge — I find out where we’re going on the final night of this year’s event, so I don’t know where we’re going next year, but it will be a big one.”
Teresa is hoping that next year will see three or four cars come from Echuca-Moama for the Great Escape Oz rally.
The group usually has about 30 to 40 cars enter for the all-off-road challenge.
“It’s really greatest motoring event of all time, it’s just like one big family,” she said.
“It’s all off-road, but I don’t know how we’re going to go this year, because we’re going to Mildura (on Friday) and then Broken Hill for the start on May 1, but there’s been so much rain that a lot of the roads are closed.
“Broken Hill, Tibooburra, Innamincka, Birdsville: all those places a lot of the roads are closed. Either that, or we’ll be slip-sliding all over the place.”
As a part of the rally efforts, Teresa has personally raised a grand total of $16,000 for cystic fibrosis research, in honour of the two children that her family has lost.
“My main reason for doing this is we’ve lost two children, and Michelle, was two weeks off 17,” she said.
“Ever since then — 29 years ago now, but it never feels like 29 years — I’ve made myself busy and really got stuck into the fundraising.
“We have quite a number of families in our region who had children or adolescents with cystic fibrosis.
“I can’t bring Michelle back, but I know with the money we’ve raised, we can help so many other families.”
Teresa has expressed her gratitude for all of the people who have helped her raise the funds for this rally, and has encouraged people to get in contact about next year’s event.
“I just want to thank everyone in Echuca-Moama because without the people’s support and generosity here, in these trying times, I never would have raised $16,000. I’m most appreciative of that,” she said.
“I’m very blessed with what I can do in Echuca, but I really want to encourage everyone to have a think about going on the trip next year.
“It’s only a seven-day event, and the camaraderie and the fun we have is unbelievable, it’s just fantastic the way it’s all put together.”
For more information, or to register for next year’s Great Escape Oz car rally, email Teresa Carlson at cf.cure@hotmail.com or phone 0407 433 321.
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