An Exeter resident, Kevin, who has Retinitis Pigmentosa is legally blind.

His condition has already severely affected his peripheral vision and is progressively shutting down his total sight.

He had to give up his job as an electrical engineer with heavy machinery company Komatsu at the end of October, but earlier in the year his company gave him an opportunity that was too good not to pursue.

Komatsu runs an employee program called Live Your Dream, providing a $10,000 grant to help its staff members undertake worthy community service activities.

And Kevin and Kim had a dream in mind.

Two of their grandchildren are autistic and another has cerebral palsy.

"We searched the internet for an organisation that was helping the treatment of both conditions - and that led us to the Variety Club of NSW which runs a fundraising car rally called the Variety Club Bash," Kevin said.

"We entered and Komatsu agreed to back us with a $10,000 contribution directly to the charity - supporting our own crowd funding that was going to raise even more."

Then Covid-19 struck and the event was cancelled.

Kevin and Kim had already gone a long way towards attaining their goal.

The O'Meley family had been fans of the British Austin brand of car for generations. They drove nothing else.

When Kevin's dad Roy passed away 25 years ago, he left his collection of 22 Austins as his legacy.

All had been sold by the estate, but Kevin and Kim found an Australian made Austin Kimberley for sale in Adelaide.

Driving an Austin in the Bash was to be a tribute to his father as well as a major contribution to his family and the charity.

Kevin and Kim flew over to buy it and drove it back across the Hay Plains, patching the leaking hydraulic suspension all the way.

They turned it into a rally car which Kim would drive, while Kevin took the role of navigator and mechanic on the five-day Variety Bash.

"It was a huge disappointment when the Bash was cancelled," Kevin said.

But the eternally positive couple refused to accept negatives.

They told Komatsu about the event's cancellation and the company approved the $10,000 donation directly to Variety without the need to compete in the Bash.

Kevin and Kim have already placed an entry for the Bash next year.

In the meantime Kevin has joined the Southern Highlands Cycling Club, in the tandem division, and will compete at state championship level behind a sighted rider.

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