Finance Brokers ride to Conquer Cancer

“Together, we can do great things.” These are the sentiments behind Western Australian mortgage broker, Warrick Greaves and his fellow teammates, who on the 26-27th October will be riding over 200kms from Perth to Mandurah and back again, as part of the MACA Cancer 200 Ride for Research, which raises vital funding for the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research. 

The riding team is made up of a group of WA brokers from all different types of businesses, aggregators and walks of life, who come together each year to raise money, rally support and participate in a challenging and arduous ride – all in the name of conquering cancer.

A visit to the MACA Cancer 200 Ride for Research website will show you just how much a donation means to the Harry Perkins Institute and how they use that funding:

$53 can buy 100 microscope slides, one of which may unlock the next cancer breakthrough
$116 can equip a researcher with protective clothing, ensuring their safety and preventing contamination
$211 can cover the heating, cooling and storage costs for vital tissue samples in the labs
$507 can provide an electronic pipette – the research tool of choice in the labs which could lead to a discovery of a new cancer treatment. 

When Warrick, a finance professional for over 18 years, heard about the ride for research, he immediately started reaching out to industry contacts and local businesses to get involved and put a team together.

In 2018, Warrick and 30 other brokers formed the riding team and hit the ground running (or riding we should say) and raised an incredible $93,000 for the cause. With the ride itself entering its eighth consecutive year, Warrick and his team are hoping they will have just as much success in their second year.

“It’s a ride, not a race. An emotional, challenging, personal event which brings together strangers, all with the same goal of wanting to raise vital funding. When you’re out there on the ride, it’s such a sense of community and you’re riding alongside people who have been directly affected by cancer, even survivors come and take part in the ride”, says Warrick.

Having supported his own father through a cancer diagnosis, Warrick notes what an eye-opening experience it was sitting in the hospital alongside his father and seeing how many people were affected by cancer.

“Not only was the financial cost of cancer an eye-opener for me but seeing how many people were coming and going receiving treatment really shocked me. There were teenagers and young people in their 20s and 30s. I ran into a close friend of mine, who was receiving treatment for breast cancer and I had no idea she was even sick. In some way, shape or form, we’ve all been affected by cancer and therefore our involvement in the race is so important”, says Warrick. 

The more involved Warrick becomes in the ride for research, the more he believes he has a duty of care to talk to his clients about potential life risks, especially when they’re taking out a large debt for the first time. 

“From an industry point of view, it’s important to give back to your local community and we want our community to know we are more than just finance professionals, we’re here to help in other ways too. Unfortunately, we’re all guilty of saying these bad things won’t happen to us, but what I have learnt now is that they do”. 

ALI Group Supporting ‘Team Finance Brokers’

The Finance Brokers Ride to Conquer Cancer team are urging anyone and everyone to get involved if they can. If you would like to donate to the team, you can do so by clicking here. 

This year, ALI Group has become a key sponsor of Team Finance Brokers. 

“It was terrific to have ALI come on board as a key sponsor this year. ALI’s core mission is to help brokers protect clients impacted by serious illness such as cancer from financial hardship. So, it was fitting to have ALI officially part of the team, supporting us all the way. Our ALI BDM’s Alexis Halsted and Leah Hutchings are even giving up their own free time to come and help out the crew anyway they can, which is fantastic”.

Warrick has a conversation about loan protection with each of his clients, even if they are just taking out a large personal loan, and whether they decide to take out cover or not, Warrick asks them to sign a disclaimer as evidence the discussion about cover was had – making himself accountable to have the conversation with every client.

“I’ve had some tragic stories of clients being killed in car accidents and leaving their families in really unfortunate financial situations, so it’s important to know we are discussing it and educating clients on what loan protection is and making a record of that client’s final decision”.

ALI Group are proud to be a part of the cause and support Warrick and the team of finance brokers in their ride for research. 

About Emma Flanagan

Emma is the Senior Marketing and Communications executive at ALI Group. After completing a Bachelor of Communication with a Major in Journalism, Emma spent a couple of years living, travelling and working abroad before making her way home to Australia. Now, with firm roots back in her home town of the Central Coast in NSW, her and her husband just bought their very first home with the help of their mortgage broker. Now, Emma is here to help FHBs just like her by providing informative and educational content and to keep them abreast of what’s what when it comes to buying, refinancing and protecting themselves and their family from financial hardship.