PowerEarth Backs the 2026 Ride for Sick Kids
513 kilometres. Five days. One very good reason.
Between 25 and 29 August, PowerEarth Director Jason Styles rode from Glen Innes to Newcastle as part of the 2026 Ride for Sick Kids, raising funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities Northern NSW. PowerEarth was proud to support the event as a Gold Sponsor.
It was Jason’s third year in the saddle for the cause, following a 504km ride from Grafton to Newcastle in 2025.
Why the ride matters
When a child is seriously ill or injured, the treatment they need is often hundreds of kilometres from home. For families across Northern NSW, that can mean weeks or months away from their support networks, their work and their other children, at exactly the moment they can least afford it.
Ronald McDonald House Northern NSW exists to close that distance. Each year around 700 families are given a place to stay at the Houses in Newcastle and Tamworth, keeping them close to their child in hospital. Thousands more are supported through Family Rooms in Newcastle and Gosford, the Family Retreat at Forster, and the Learning Program that helps children keep up with school through treatment and recovery.
The 2026 peloton set a collective target of $300,000.
Five days on the New England Highway
The riders assembled at Giant Newcastle on Monday 24 August before travelling north to Glen Innes for the start.
Day 1: Glen Innes to Armidale, 99km. The group visited Glen Innes Public School before rolling out, talking to students about the ride and the families it supports. Jason was awarded the Yellow Jersey for his consistent support of Ronald McDonald House Northern NSW and his efforts on the road.
Day 2: Armidale to Tamworth, 120km. The hardest grade of the week, climbing through Uralla and Bendemeer with a drink stop at Captain Thunderbolt’s Rock, before the descent down the Moonbi Range. The group stopped at Ronald McDonald House Tamworth for a tour and afternoon tea.
Day 3: Tamworth to Scone, 136km. The longest day of the ride, roughly nine hours in the saddle through Willow Tree and Murrurundi.
Day 4: Scone to Pokolbin, 76km. A visit to Scone Public School for a bike safety talk and bike giveaway, then on through the Hunter.
Day 5: Pokolbin to Newcastle, 57km. The final run into Ronald McDonald House Newcastle, arriving to a BBQ and presentation at the House the riders had spent five days raising money for.
Where the fundraising landed
Jason has raised $13,199 toward a personal target of $20,000. His fundraising page remains open, so there is still time to contribute.
To put that in context: $190 gives a family with a seriously ill child a home away from home for one night, and $955 covers a week at the Family Retreat.
PowerEarth contributed $10,000 as Gold Sponsor. Thank you also to Enotrac AG, HyperWeb and Osborn Law for backing Jason, and to the many individuals who donated, including a number of the PowerEarth team.
Support the ride
Donations can still be made through Jason’s fundraising page:
Donate to Jason’s Ride for Sick Kids
To learn more about the work of Ronald McDonald House Northern NSW, visit rmhc.org.au.
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