It has become famously known as a month where a variety of good and bad moustaches emerge in support of charity, but this November will also be a month all about the colours red and blue in the fight against brain cancer.
Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) is launching its biggest charity initiative in the organisation’s history, partnering with the Mark Hughes Foundation (MHF) in the Red And Blue All November Through campaign.
By the end of the month, GRNSW is hoping to have donated more than $100,000 to the MHF through their partnership with the Foundation.
During the 30 days of November, GRNSW will donate $161 every time the red rug (number 1) or the blue rug (number 4) wins a race at every greyhound race meeting around NSW.
The selection of the blue and red rugs was because they are the colours of the Newcastle Knights, and the $161 amount was selected as during his National Rugby League career, Mark Hughes playing 161 first grade games for the Newcastle Knights.
There are 110 NSW greyhound meetings programmed for November, and should number one or four win just three races on average at each meeting that would be more than $53,000 for the MHF. Should that number be four per meeting, then it jumps to over $70,000.
When the partnership with the MHF was announced in April this year, GRNSW donated $20,000 to the great cause. Another $10,000 was added to the tally when the Dapto winning post was auctioned at the final meeting at the iconic venue in September.
Later next month, on November 29, GRNSW will also host a charity fundraising event at Ladbrokes Gardens in Newcastle for the MHF, with the event to feature several highly sought after auction items - including a Kangaroos’ jersey signed by the current Australian rugby league team - expected to raise even more for the great cause.
GRNSW chief executive officer Steve Griffin is hopeful the final amount will clearly top the $100,000 mark.
“The Mark Hughes Foundation is a great charity fighting to reduce brain cancer in Australia,” Mr Griffin said.
“I know a lot of people are surprised when they hear the statistic that brain cancer is the leading cause of death in children and adults under 40 years of age.
“We are honoured to be able to offer just small bit of help to the Mark Hughes Foundation and their fight against this dreadful disease and I honestly hope November is filled with winners wearing red or blue rugs.”
It will be fitting that one of the first NSW meetings held on Saturday, the first day of November, will be at Ladbrokes Gardens in Newcastle just a few kilometres down the road from what is now called McDonald Jones Stadium, home of the Newcastle Knights and where Hughes played many of his 161 first grade matches between 1997 and 2005.
“We’re very grateful to the Greyhound Racing NSW for their substantial fundraising efforts to enable us to continue our research activities at the Mark Hughes Foundation,” Mark Hughes said.
“I’m especially looking forward to November where I hope everyone is cheering on the red and blue rugs which will help us in our race to beat brain cancer.”
