THERE will be no sea of vintage cars and trucks trekking down the south-west in the name of mental health, as the Black Dog Cruise joins the list of events called off due to the pandemic.
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Organised by Camperdown's Tim Brown, the event usually see hundreds turn out for a drive from Geelong to Warrnambool's Premier Speedway to raise funds for Beyond Blue while raising awareness of depression, anxiety and suicide.
"Due to the Covid situation we are sadly calling off the Black Dog Cruise this year," Mr Brown said.
"We are definitely coming back bigger and better than ever for next year's event and we hope to have continued support.
"Our vision for the future is to have full sponsorship from our major big name companies, we want partners that not only donate funds or products but have the event permanently on their calendar."
The event started when Mr Brown tragically lost a mate to suicide.
He had been fighting his own mental health battles for a long time, and said he came pretty close to the edge.
"I'd had a bit of depression on and off all my life, then I injured my spine at work and I couldn't do anything. I couldn't exercise, I gained weight, and my mental health got pretty bad," he said at last year's event.
"When my friend took his life he had three kids, I had three kids, and I thought: that could have been me.
"I could have fallen that far."
The event dubbed a 'Drive for Depression' would have been in its fifth year this year.
The event has raised over $15,000 for Beyond Blue.
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If you or someone you know needs help, you can call Lifeline Australia (13 11 14), Beyond Blue (1800 512 348), or Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800).
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