Box Rallies

James Freeman founded Shitbox Rally in 2010 after losing both of his parents to cancer within 12 months.

Shitbox Rally is not a race – it’s a challenge to achieve the unthinkable. The ‘Box Rallies’ see daring teams make journeys across Australia in cars worth less than $1,500 each for Shitbox or at least 25 years old for its partner event, Mystery Box, making their way through unchartered territory in the hope their car will survive the trip. 

Participants have now raised over $41 million, all of which has supported vital cancer research. 

Here are some examples of multi-state research funded by Box Rallies:

• Switching off the spread of triple-negative breast cancer
• Using artificial intelligence to enhance radiotherapy effectiveness
• Finding news ways to treat liver cancer
• Finding new treatment targets for advanced melanoma
• Improving the health and well-being of women cancer survivors
• Reversing treatment resistance in melanoma

Research Funding Model

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is the pinnacle for vital funding for ground-breaking cancer research projects, but their budget only goes so far. The cancer researchers who miss out get another chance at funding via Cancer Council grants. The impact of these projects has been felt right across Australia, with many of the grants made possible by Box Rallies funding.

Previously, Box Rallies was able to fund multi-state research projects via Cancer Council grants. In 2019, Box Rallies and Cancer Council took a new approach – one that means Box Rallies will fund the most outstanding cancer research projects nationally.

For more information on the Box Rallies, visit the website.