Andrew Makohan’s mother was born at the Benalla Migrant Camp and he has been a regular visitor to its exhibition.
He is also President of the Ukrainian Association in Sunshine and will wear a combination of Australian and Ukrainian colours for the ride.
“The ride has a few layers to it,“ Mr Makohan said.
“The Ukrainian Association in Sunshine is celebrating its 70th year.
“We’ve had a very challenging time with COVID, like everyone else, and it has been a bit divisive in the community.
“And a lot of people are carrying some mental baggage. My way of addressing my mental health was to dust off the old pushbike.
“Initially it was to clear the mind, but then I hatched a plan to pay tribute to Victoria’s early migrants, of which my grandmother, who is turning 98 this year, was one.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has meant Mr Makohan and his family have not been able to spend Christmas with her for the past two years.
“So I decided to honour her I’d retrace her footsteps when she arrived here, and I’ve called the fundraiser re-riding the past.”
The ride will take Mr Makohan more than 500km from the Bonigal Migrant Camp to Station Pier, in Port Melbourne, where migrants like his grandmother first stepped foot on Australian soil.
The ride will take him via the Benalla Migrant Camp, the site of a former migrant camp in Rushworth, to Seymour which has always had a big Ukrainian community, the Ukrainian House in Essendon and the Ukrainian Hall in Ardeer.
“Someone mentioned to me its a very unfortunate coincident that as I’m commemorating migration of cultures following one great war as another one rages in Ukraine,” he said.
“But I guess it is having a Ukrainian focus and highlights the difficulties up there and the the humanitarian crisis that is arising.”
Benalla Migrant Camp Exhibition chair Sabine Smythe said she looked forward to welcoming Mr Makohan to Benalla for afternoon tea at the Migrant Camp Hut 11.
She will be joined by Benalla Rural City Mayor Bernie Hearn and Councillor Puna Hewa Gunaratne.
“I am so looking forward to seeing Andrew back in Benalla,” Ms Smythe said.
“Ukrainian families from Benalla and beyond have also been invited, as has representation of the North East Multicultural Association.
“At this time of unrest in the Ukraine, it is so nice we can show our support by extending a really warm welcome to Andrew and his family, on this commemorative visit to the former migrant camp site.”
If you would like to donate to Mr Makohan’s fundraiser you can find it on Facebook and Instagram @reridethepast. Both pages have links to his GoFundMe page.
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