Proud partnership
Here at The Fast Lane we love being part of all the communities we call home. We also like to give back where we can, and we’re so happy to tell you about our newest local initiative. We’ve partnered with the Black Dog Ride across all our locations, to help start a conversation about depression and suicide.
We wanted to start things with a bang and have kicked off the 12-month initiative with a $2500 donation. You’ll start to notice our staff wearing Black Dog Ride bandanas and badges, and the special BioPak biodegradable cups we told you about last month have started to appear in stores with Black Dog imaging on them.
We want to get you talking – we’ll be sparking conversations about mental health and suicide, and encouraging people to reach out and chat to someone when they are struggling.
Our founder Paula Anderson says she’s had friends and family affected by depression and mental illness. “It’s sadly becoming an increasing thing in our lives, and I wanted to do my part to get people talking.
“I knew this was an important cause to get behind, but when I found out that the money that’s raised from individual local Black Dog rides is spent in the local communities, I knew we needed to do our part to help.
“The $2500 we donated is a starting point, and we’re encouraging our customers to visit blackdogride.org.au to donate, and we will match donations dollar for dollar up to the value of $2500 next year as well.”
Black Dog Ride Dubbo/NSW coordinator Wayne Amor says he’s thrilled to have The Fast Lane as a partner, not just in Dubbo, but Wagga, Rockhampton and Maryborough as well. “We’re thankful for the donation, but also the money Paula has spent on cups and other merchandise to help aid the conversation, and her staff for encouraging customers to talk.
“The Black Dog Ride across Australia has raised over $3 million, and the money is used to aid the ongoing conversation in local communities.
“We always encourage anybody who is struggling, to reach out and ask for help, either through friends or family or by calling Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call-back Service on 1300 659 467. Both services are available 24/7.”
