A bike and a penny-farthing were set up in Harbour St and a light was attached to each. Participants had to pedal continuously to keep the lights on.
The poor weather did not put anyone off attending, Oamaru Hato Hone St John area chairwoman Maria Dickie said.
The light was kept on from 3pm to 8pm thanks to a steady flow of participants, she said.
"I’m really, really impressed with our community and the kids and the adults that came down to do biking."
The event coincided with the national Giving Day for Hato Hone St John.
Two Oamaru locals who wished to remain anonymous matched every dollar raised on the day in the area.
Oamaru Hato Hone St John raised more than $1000 on the night and the Oamaru shop received a further $2000 in donations throughout the day.
In total, $380,000 was raised on Giving Day for the new Oamaru Ambulance Station in Weston Rd.
The event was well supported by local businesses too.
Anvil Engineers connected the bike and lights to make the event possible while Town & Country Coffee cart was also there on the evening and made a donation of $1 from every drink sold.
Athlete Foundry gym members also came along and hopped on the bike.
"The support was phenomenal," Mrs Dickie said.
There was also a scavenger hunt where people had to find 20 little ambulances hidden in businesses around town, with the winner receiving a bike which was donated by Martyns Cycles.
With the new ambulance station having been in the works for more than a decade, Mrs Dickie and the rest of the team were excited to see things take shape.
"We had an on-site barbecue [last] Wednesday night for all our volunteers and all our staff and for the Breen [Construction] team and the architect.
"When we got to have a walk through the building, I’ve never seen so many excited people.
"The team were just totally stoked and excited about the potential."
The plan was to have the build completed by the end of the year and she hoped to move into the facility in early 2027.
In the meantime, a further $1m needed to be raised.
The land was given to Hato Hone St John by residents Ray and Janice Walker.
