ACHIEVEMENTS
Since its first ride in 2007 Chain Reaction riders have ridden 235,000 kilometres and raised more than $4.4 million on behalf of their charity partners. As a result of these fund raising efforts Chain Reaction has been able to make a significant differences to the following children’s charities:
Funds raised from Chain Reactions 2011 Queensland Challenge were used by the Royal Childrens Hospital to purchase 3 cardiac monitors for its childrens cancer unit and an OCT imaging machine for its childrens eye clinic. These pieces of equipment will help the Royal Childrens hospital to find faster diagnoses, better treatments and ultimately cures for childhood illnesses.
Funds raised from Chain Reactions 2011 Queensland Challenge were also used by the Starlight Childrens Foundation to help with the running of the Starlight Express Room at the Mater Childrens Hospital in Brisbane. This funding has also allowed Starlight to increase the frequency of its Captain Starlights visits to the wards of the Mater Childrens Hospital.
In 2011, Chain Reaction helped the Monash Childrens Hospital purchase a $650,000 MRI Incubator for its neonatal intensive care unit. An MRI Incubator allows for the safe scanning of newborn babies without having to disconnect them from their vital life support systems and provides doctors with invaluable information that assist with the identification and treatment of premature and newborn babies with brain injuries.
In 2010 and 2011 Chain Reaction funded the operations of the Starlight Express Room at the Monash Medical for 12 months and purchased new equipment for the room. The funding has also allowed Starlight to increase the frequency of Captain Starlight.
In 2010 Chain Reaction funded the rollout of the Alannah & Madeline Foundations Better Buddies program to over 90 new primary schools throughout Australia. Better Buddies is an iniative designed to create friendly and caring primary school communities where bullying is reduced. Through Better Buddies, children in their first and last year of primary school buddy up and learn the values: caring for others, friendliness, respect, valuing difference, including others and responsibility. Better Buddies enables younger children to feel safe and cared for while older children feel valued and respected.
Between 2007 and 2009 Chain Reaction funding has allowed the Starlight Childrens Foundation to increase its programme coverage allowing it to reach tens of thousands more children. This funding has also helped Starlight to grant over 70 wishes in Victoria each year and provide 110 Starlight Escape activities for children and families annually.
In 2009 Chain Reaction funding allowed the Cerebral Palsy Education Centre(CPEC) to construct a new Education & Training Centre at the existing CPEC centre in Glen Waverly. The Centre includes all the necessary technology, equipment and lecture facilities to aid with the development and facilitation of training programs for families and care givers to provide the necessary and ongoing support through specialist skills enabling them to be an advocate and support for their child at school and in community activities.
Funding from the 2008 ride allowed the Monash Childrens Hospital to purchase an Echocardiograph (ECG) machine for its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The ECG machine was purpose built so that it can be used on premature and newborn children. A dedicated ECG machine provides doctors and parents with invaluable information that allows the doctors to provide the best possible treatment to the children.
In 2007 Chain Reaction helped fund the acquisition of a purpose built New Born Emergency Transport Service (NETS) Ambulance for Ambulance Victoria. NETS ambulances provides expert clinical advice, clinical co-ordination, emergency treatment and stabilisation and inter hospital transport for very sick babies and children up to the age of 16 years. It operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Other charities that Chain Reaction has also supported include:
