Riding On Report Summer 2023

By the time you read this summer edition of Riding On, we will already be in the New Year of 2024. I trust the festive season was joyous for all. Being the new year, a number of you will be preparing your bikes and Mandurah Rally itineraries for travelling to the great state of Western Australia. We are looking forward to you coming. Why not purchase a UCARF patch or badge from the Gear Shop for your riding jacket before the trip.

Don’t forget purchasing your UCARF Raffle tickets, I am sure most Branches have them available and along with the Suzuki V-Strom, the other prizes are all worth winning.

Associate professor Meilang Xue, our sponsored researcher at the Sutton Arthritis Research Laboratory, has advised me that the bench work has been completed for the current research project we have helped to fund, and the outcomes look good.

Meilang will present her work in Auckland at the Annual Australia and New Zealand Society for Immunology in early December and will send a final report to us to summarize the work done. Unfortunately, too late for this edition but it will be featured in the Autumn 2024 Riding On. Meilang and her team sent us their thanks and gratitude for our support for the research project during 2023.

At time of writing, there were several Medical Research Council Ideas grant applications being made and once again our National Committee will make a decision on the UCARF funding for 2024.  It is also exciting news that the National Committee is also looking at other ways to invest in Rheumatoid Arthritis Research.

For the period of September, October and November, I am very proud to announce the UCARF donations were over $11,500, totally awesome!

Donations have come from the following Branches:

Brisbane $500, Newcastle Lower Hunter $2000, Canberra $5000 (more sausages), Redlands $200, Echuca $240, Port Macquarie Mid North Coast $160, Torrens Valley $510, Freemantle $665 and the RV Group Tasmania $114.

A big thanks to all the Branches and of course to the Individual donation made by the Abberfield’s $172 and two unknowns of $45 and $72. A big thanks as well to all the members who bought a 40th Anniversary Patch, you

added to the UCARF coffers by $1935.

Don’t forget, ‘Cash for Containers’ is a fantastic way for Branches to raise money for UCARF. Very simple for Branches to set up an individual account or contact me if you would like more information on “TedE’s Containers for UCARF”

Catch up in Mandurah

Ken and TedE
UCARF Coordinator,
#51189 DM #67