There’s a variety of ways people could help, including cutting fruit, staffing drink stations for competitors along the course and supervising pedestrian crossings, just to name a few.
Rode RAGE is a community group that comes together to support similar community events and, without the group, Challenge Shepparton would struggle to get off the ground.
This year Rode RAGE is raising money for frontline refugee agencies Care4Calais and Mobile Refugee Support who are supporting victims of wars — refugees in northern France without any other source of food, shelter or clothing.
For every volunteer that Rode RAGE recruits, the event organisers will donate $100.
“Anyone who’s either community-minded and wants to help out a local Shepparton event or wants to help refugees in Europe currently freezing to death,” Rode RAGE co-ordinator Tony Davidson said.
“We're just hoping we can find some locals who would like to come along and help.
“And also possibly some local young people, they might want to join our group.”
Current volunteers are all teenagers, but roles are open to anyone interested, aged 12 to 112 years old, Mr Davidson said.
“The roles are not difficult but our students have great fun in doing them together, meeting new people and they get great satisfaction from knowing that them having fun for a day translates into a family of four being provided with a tent, sleeping bags and food as they face the sub-zero temperatures of a French winter,” he said.
“Volunteer shifts can be just a few hours or the whole day ... every little bit helps.”
To volunteer, contact Tony Davidson to volunteer at tony@roderage.com.au or call 0419 563 920.