Rod Run seeking local support

The Easter Rod Run is looking for a revitalisation with Steven Alldrick, the son of Rod Run founder Ray Alldrick, coming to Narrandera next week to talk to local businesses.

Mr Alldrick says he’s hoping to give the Rod Run bit of a boost.

“We’re coming next Thursday and meeting with the Council, we’re meeting with the Narrandera Auto club and the rest of the time we’ll be visiting local businesses seeking sponsorship.

“We’re not necessarily looking for money; old stock or goods that we could raffle would be helpful, or donations of food. It’s $15,000 to feed the entrants, and if we can cut back the cost we can cut back the ticket prices.”

The logic follows that lower ticket prices could allow the entrants to hit Narrandera with a little more money in their pockets.

Mr Alldrick had said in a previous interview that the Rod Run is not looking to expand its entrants, but rather get the public interested in the event.

“But we’ll be focussing on smaller businesses, getting a poster in the window.”

Mr Alldrick is worried that the Rod Run organisation has become too complacent.

“It’s just dwindling too much in the last few years. Sponsorship is only between $50 and $100.”

The hope is that with more local business sponsorship, that there might be more local investment in the Easter long weekend.  By extension, Mr Alldrick would like to see a bigger push from the organisers of the Rod Run to educate entrants to support local businesses, particularly those who sponsor the event.

Mr Alldrick would also like to see broader changes to the Rod Run. So far he has proposed bringing the Saturday night lapping the main forward into Saturday afternoon, making it into a more family-orientated event.

A greater police presence, more efficient road closures and more public facilities like portable toilets are also ideas which have been floated for the Saturday event.

“If we have it at four or five in the afternoon and finish it at nine or so at night – it might mean that in the years that Easter is early it’ll be all in daylight,” Mr Alldrick said in an earlier interview. “That’s a shame, because the street does look awesome all lit up, but for safety it might be better. It gets a bit dodgy after nine. We just need the public to feel a bit more looked after.”

Mr Alldrick has previously said that he’s worried that the Rod Run is operating on “autopilot” at the moment.

Not only is he looking for sponsorship, but Mr Alldrick’s presence in Narrandera next week is an opportunity for businesses and community members to offer their own solutions and innovations to improve the Rod Run.

“It’s not a scare campaign. It’s more to keep people coming every year to Narrandera. The less we can spend the less we pass on to the entrants. There’s lots of different ways to support the event than just a handout for money.”