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2024 Adelaide Autumn Drive Day – Presented by Shell V-Power Motorsport Park at The Bend
April 7 @ 8:30 am - 1:00 pm
REGISTRATIONS HAVE CLOSED!
Why We Drive
DAD drive days are always about connection and community. They hold the intention to normalise mental health problems and mental illness, promote conversations around these and offer pathways for seeking further support.
We use driving and the shared enthusiasm for cars and great roads as our way of connecting and escaping downward emotional spirals. We know that connection is vital for mental wellbeing, and DAD events deliver this in spades.
DAD isn’t a club, it’s a community. Please don’t feel you need to have a particular model or age of car to attend – if it’s registered and you love it, bring it.
Our drive days are strictly social and non-competitive. We use open roads and carefully plan our drive routes to make them as safe and logical as possible, while using engaging roads with new scenery for a great day out.
We advocate for using DAD drive days as an inclusive environment to start your mental health conversation where you feel comfortable to do so, however DAD drive days are not a crisis service and keeping everyone safe on the road is of utmost importance.
What’s Happening for the Adelaide Autumn Drive Day in April 2024?
This drive day will be a laid-back, social event. It will follow the format of our traditional events – starting with morning briefing, driving to morning tea for a break and chat, then cruising a bit further along our drive route to end with an optional lunch.
As a special treat, the brilliant folks at Gelista have partnered with DAD for our first Adelaide event and will be donating the purchase price of a selection of their famous (and completely delicious) locally-made gelati. Pre-order yours with your registration and it’ll be ready for collection at our finish location.
The full drive route and participant details will be sent to registerd participants after registration closes. We’ve selected some sensational driving roads, and we know that coupled with some great conversations, this will be a brilliant event for our first cruise in Adelaide.
Registrations have closed for this drive. Details are as follows:
When: Sunday 7th April 2024
Arrival from 8:30am
Briefing at 9:30am
Hitting the road by 10:00am
Start: McLaren Vale
Morning tea: Clarendon
Finish: Stirling
Special Guests
Alongside providing a day filled with conversation and cracking roads, it’s also important that we hold space for honest conversations about mental health and provide connection to professional services.
For our Adelaide Drive Day, we are truly privileged to welcome Prof. Nicholas Procter and Dr. Kate Rhodes. Nicholas is the Chair of Mental Health Nursing at UniSA and Australia’s national representative to the International Association for Suicide Prevention. Kate lectures at UniSA, has three qualifications in nursing, including mental health nursing, and has 27 years of experience working with mental health teams. Those with a keen eye might also have spotted Kate driving in this year’s Adelaide Rally.
Between them, Nicholas and Kate bring an absolute wealth of information about suicide prevention, safety planning and living life with meaning and purpose. What we love most about them is the way the information they share is accessible, relevant and authentic – no confusing academic speak here, just tangible information that makes an impact.
In addition to driving with us, we are humbled to have Nicholas and Kate sharing thought-provoking words of wisdom at our morning briefing. This is an opportunity not to be missed.
Event Partner
We’re delighted to announce an exciting new partnership with Shell V-Power Motorsport Park at The Bend.
The Bend, our presenting partner of this Sunday’s Adelaide Drive Day, is an international award-winning, state-of-the-art, world-class motorsport facility, offering major spectator events, adrenaline-filled experiences, and unique accommodation.
This partnership signals a wonderful opportunity to enhance awareness of our mission to support mental wellness through the freedom of driving, a passion strongly shared by The Bend.
Learn more about their motorsport facility and upcoming events at thebend.com.au
Event Supporter
For our first Adelaide drive day, we welcome Gelista who are kindly donating 150ml tubs of their premium South Australian-made gelati to support our event. Be sure to order yours when you register!
You can see more details about their range on their website: https://www.gelista.com.au/150ml-products-page
To keep our event driving, we are also seeking event partners. If you or your business are interested in discussing partnership opportunities or understanding more about the options (of which there are several), please contact Sarah via sarah@driveagainstdepression.com.au
We have witnessed the capacity of DAD events to change lives. We know what it means to our community to have these safe spaces and opportunities for connection in a way that isn’t offered elsewhere. We have big plans for supporting our community and creating lasting impact, and partnerships help significantly with our capacity to achieve that vision.
How to Participate
Pop the date in your diary and gather your mates!
There are no minimum car requirements to join this cruise – if it’s registered and you love it, bring it along.
Registrations are now open, please complete the details below.
The donation and registration fields are below for your use, and event terms and conditions are at the bottom of this page.
As a registered charity we are proud to offer tax deductibility for your donations, and thank you for your generosity which allows us to provide these important events.
*If you’re interested in supporting as a DAD Local Legend or sponsor, please let us know in the “Additional Comments” section on the below form.