ALL eyes were trained on the sky above Bathurst Airport for the Soar, Ride and Shine (SRS) launch on Wednesday.
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SRS is a huge air, car and motorbike show that was first held in 2016 and it raised $35,000 for Lifeline Central West (LCW).
Wednesday marked the launch of the next SRS, which will be held on April 7-8, 2018.
For the launch, LCW called on some help from the Royal Australian Air Force, and the charity was certainly not let down. A C130J Hercules landed at 10.20am with crowds lining the road and airstrip to watch the huge aircraft land and then back-up to the terminal.
Soon after, two Paul Bennet Airshows planes performed maneuvers in the sky before landing on the airstrip, they were joined by sports cars and a vintage motorbike.
LCW executive director Alex Ferguson was at the launch and said the family-friendly SRS had a very serious message.
“We want to send some very clear and unambiguous messages to men and boys concerning mental health, the use of drug and alcohol, domestic violence, financial difficulties and gambling addiction,” he said.
“Soar, Ride and Shine is unapologetically focused on men simply because it is the male population who make up well over 75 per cent of the perpetrators in each of these categories and approximately 78 per cent of all deaths by suicide in our region.”
Mr Ferguson said SRS was not only a fundraiser for LCW, but it aimed at reducing the stigma surrounding mental health.
In 2018, SRS will be bigger and better, he said, with a high energy air show, car and motorbike displays, food and entertainment.