Little Lily Hester loved riding her bike. According to her dad, Aaron Hester, it was one of her favourite things to do.

“And she didn’t mind getting dirty doing it,” he said.

In July 2013 however, eight-year-old Lily had to suddenly stop riding her bike when she was diagnosed with an extremely rare liver cancer.

After months of chemotherapy, multiple surgeries and countless hospital visits, Lily briefly went into remission. Tragically, her family was later told she was terminally ill, and she passed away on 11 August 2014.

Lily was the eldest of three children to Mr Hester and his wife, Sianne. Her two younger brothers, Oli and Archer, were six and four at the time of her death.

Around 2015, a friend of Aaron’s suggested that the family do something “…to channel our energy into something positive for Lily,” says Mr Hester.

In Lily’s memory, the Hesters founded the Live for Lily Foundation, with a mission to help find a cure for childhood cancer so that no family has to endure what Lily and her family did.

The foundation organises a bike ride each year where around 30 cyclists start from a different destination each time.

The Ride for Lily is now in its tenth year, and on Saturday 11 April, 31 cyclists will leave Canberra to ride the 1000 kms to Melbourne over seven days.

While grieving for Lily and preparing for the first Ride for Lily event in 2016, the Hester family had to endure further heartache when Lily’s mum, Sianne, was sadly diagnosed with breast cancer.

Sianne was, however, committed to joining the ride for her daughter from South Australia to Melbourne, making an enormous effort despite requiring oxygen during the event.

Sianne Hester tragically later passed away on 30 May 2016.

Mr Hester, Oli, Archer and a team of volunteers have continued to support the ride.

They are also supported by Mr Hester’s now wife, Katie, whom he met on one of the rides.

Since its inception, Ride for Lily has raised more than $2.5 million for childhood cancer research, funding programs at the Children’s Cancer Institute and supporting two full-time scientists.

“Our organisation is completely made up of volunteers, so we are able to get the money raised all the way to where it should be,” says Mr Hester.

2026 will mark Lily’s brother, Oli’s, fifth ride.

“This year, I will get a ‘general stripes’, like an arm band on my jersey,” says Oli.

 “The stripes recognise the riders who have been fundraising for five years toward finding a cure for childhood cancer.”

Oli adds that he feels very lucky to be able to do something to help reduce the incidence and impact of childhood cancer.

 “I feel privileged to be able to have this at my disposal and am lucky that my parents were willing to establish the ride so I could have a chance to at least try to help other kids,” he said.

Mr Hester says that they intentionally cap the number of riders each year to around 30.

“We want to keep it small, fun and a community,” he said.

Largely because of this, many riders return annually, which includes a loyal cohort from Canberra.

ANU employee and Holt ACT resident, 35-year-old Josh Burgess, is one of them and will be riding for Lily for the eighth time.

Mr Burgess’ brother, John, was the friend who suggested to Mr Hester that the family start something in honour of Lily, and he enjoys joining the ride each year.

“Even though it is a physical challenge, it has purpose, and the feeling of satisfaction that you’ve done something hard for others,” Josh Burgess said.

Mr Burgess says that since joining the rides, he has also learned a lot about cancer research.

“I started to realise that it’s not just a time problem addressing cancer, it’s the lack of money,” he says.

“So, with more money, the cures are achievable more quickly.”

This year, Mr Hester says that the ride may even have an element of ‘celebrity’ with a ‘Mr Albanese’ riding with them!

“Whilst he’s not exactly the PM,” says Mr Hester, “… we are going to get some photos in front of Parliament House on the day we set off anyway.”

Whilst Ride for Lily was not chosen specifically because of Lily’s love for her bike, the family agree that Lily would love that so many people are ‘riding their bikes’ with her and having fun while they do it.

“She was such a fun little girl,” Mr Hester said.

You can donate via liveforlily.org.au