Final Day To Vote For Record-Breaking Youth Jersey Design As 13 Community Partners Announced For Mackay Cycling Festival

The 2026 BMA River 2 Reef Ride Festival is celebrating a massive milestone today, announcing the event’s 13 official local community partners while issuing a final call for the public to vote in this year’s Youth Jersey Design Competition.

Voting for this year’s design competition officially closes at midnight tonight, Friday, 13 March. Following a period of record entries and extraordinary talent, the highly anticipated winning design will be announced this coming Monday, 16 March.

The four finalists are high school students representing the following schools:

• Mackay State High School (Mackay)
• St Catherine’s College (Proserpine)
• Mackay Christian College (Mackay)
• Whitsunday Anglican School (Mackay)

The winner’s artwork will feature on this year’s official BMA River 2 Reef Ride cycling jersey, providing a burgeoning high school artist with a $500 cash prize and a massive kickstart to their design portfolio.

BMA River 2 Reef Ride has also revealed the 13 local community organisations that will partner with the festival this year. These groups, alongside their dedicated volunteers, will take on crucial roles to ensure the safe and successful delivery of the event, including managing rest stops, course marshalling, first aid, and running the sausage sizzle at the Golding Kids Colour Ride.

In an exciting initiative for 2026, the festival has introduced a new funding model to maximise the financial return for these vital groups. When registrations officially open next Wednesday, 18 March, riders have the option to select one of the 13 community organisations to support. Every time an organisation is linked to a registration, $5 will be donated to that linked community group.

Furthermore, for every official youth-designed event jersey purchased at the time of registration, an additional $5 will be donated back to that same linked group.

Event Director Nikki Giles said this integrated approach perfectly captures the spirit of the Mackay region.

"By registering to ride and purchasing this year's event jersey, you are doing two amazing things: you are directly funding the local volunteers who do so much for our region, and you are proudly displaying the artistic talent of our local high school students,” said Nikki.

“It is a massive win for our entire community, and we cannot wait to see everyone out on the course wearing these jerseys and riding with pride."

The 13 official community partners for the 2026 festival are:

• Disabled Sport & Rec Mackay (DSRM): A not-for-profit run by locals providing inclusive sport and recreation activities for athletes with a disability.
• BMA CQ Rescue: A world-class aeromedical and emergency helicopter rescue service operating 24/7, 365 days of the year.
• Mackay Dragon Boat Club Inc: A passionate club of approximately 30 enthusiastic dragon boaters who love competing and being on the water.
• Mackay Pet Rescue Inc: A volunteer-run organisation saving and rehoming abandoned, neglected, and at-risk pets across the Mackay region.
• Lucys Lucky Tags and Dog Rescue Inc: An active rescue providing care for unwanted dogs, affordable custom pet ID tags, and mobile microchip scanning.
• MAD MTB Club: A club dedicated to promoting mountain biking and managing the extensive trail network at Rowallan Park.
• Pioneer Swimming Club: A friendly community club raising funds to send their dedicated coaches to important events to support their swimmers.
• Harrup Park Country Club: A leading regional sporting and hospitality destination with a mission to inspire greatness in sport and community.
• Mackay and District BMX Club: A rapidly growing club offering coaching and racing to around 300 registered riders from the age of two.
• Mackay City Central Scout Group: An inclusive youth program designed to foster personal growth, build self-confidence, and teach valuable leadership skills.
• Eimeo Surf Life Saving Club: A dedicated community service patrolling Eimeo Beach and educating the public from children to adults on beach safety.
• Habana & Districts Progress Association: An association focused on promoting, encouraging, and fostering the improvement and betterment of the Habana district.
• Mackay Table Tennis Association: Since 1937, providing the Mackay community with a place to play competitive and social table tennis.

Kate Sommerville, General Manager of BHP Mitsubishi Alliance’s (BMA) Hay Point Coal Terminal, praised the community-centric focus of the 2026 event.

"BMA is incredibly proud to support an event that places such a strong emphasis on community wellbeing and local partnerships," said Kate, who will ride in this year’s event.

The public is urged to cast their final votes for the 2026 Youth Jersey Design Competition before midnight tonight.

The 2026 BMA River 2 Reef Ride Festival will be held on 15 and 16 August. Registrations open on Wednesday, 18 March.

For more information on the festival, or to register for a ride, visit https://www.river2reefride.com.au/

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