Dwight Sinclair, Ricky Hard represent Coolamon on Riverina Redneck Rally

Ricky Hard and Dwight Sinclair have teamed up to represent Coolamon in the annual Riverina Redneck Rally fundraiser.

The pair have been friends for more than two decades after meeting each other in Temora.

Ricky said participating in the rally was something he had wanted to do for a long time but had decided to wait until he had a car suited for it.

"I found out about the rally through a couple of mates whose cars I had been signwriting on, but I had only just started my business, Regal Signs, so I wasn't in a position," he said.

"Then, there was a vehicle I was using for work that I retired. So Dwight and I formed a team, and we decided to have a crack at it."

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This is the pair's third year participating, and they are hoping their fundraising this year will take them past the $100,000 mark.

"After what we learned about the work Country Hope does, we wanted to go as hard as we could," Ricky said.

"The first year, we raised $31,000, and last year, we ended up raising $50,000, so we are sitting at $81,000.

"This year, we are still aiming for $20,000 that will get us to $100,000 in three years. It would be massive for Country Hope and a massive personal accomplishment."

Dwight said when coronavirus hit the country last year, they decided to look for alternative ways of fundraising.

He said they did not want to rely on support from businesses when they knew it had been a tough year for so many.

"Businesses were hurting and may not have had the money to spend, and we didn't want to pressure people even though they always want to help," Dwight said.

"So, we figured if we could get it done without them, that would be great.

"We have collected car batteries and cans and recycled them to earn some money, and some businesses and locals have still supported us."

When they signed up three years ago, Dwight said he and Ricky could never have imagined how Team Yobb would take off.

"When we first started, we just wanted to get past the $2500 mark," he said.

"We wanted to get as much as we could, and we were nervous we wouldn't even make that. Then it went a bit nuts, and we didn't have to worry about anything at all."

For more information about the rally, and Team Yobb, click here.

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