Vital funds raised during Pink Ribbon Raceweek

By Andrew Smith

The Sky Racing Pink Ribbon Raceweek has again proven to be a success, with close to $400,000 raised for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

The week included a special race meet across all three codes to raise money for breast cancer research, with the Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club hosting their meeting on September 14, along with harness racing at Albion Park and the thoroughbred meeting at the Gold Coast Turf Club, both on September 16.

The Sunshine Coast Turf Club also turned pink for its meeting on September 17.

Pink Ribbon Cup founder Robyn Cameron said almost 750 people had attended the official National Breast Cancer Foundation event on the Gold Coast, with auctions and raffles helping to raise over $250,000 on the Pink Ribbon Cup Day alone.

“We cracked a quarter of a million dollars, it’s humongous!” Robyn said.

“It was again about the community coming together to support a great cause but also having a great day.

“I always say there’s two objectives – one, let’s have a great day but also two, raise a bucket load of money and we certainly did that this year.

“A big thank you to our very generous sponsors, the Coastal Demolitions and Asbestos Removal, and Diamond Vault who donated a $17,500 ring which helped us raise $18,500.

“I also want to say thank you to the team at GCTC, who through their support help us to increase the fundraising each year.

“I also want to thank all the volunteers we had on the day because they’re the ones that smile and get people to buy raffle tickets - they make a big difference and we rely on them so much.”

Starting in 2008, the Pink Ribbon Cup remains Australia’s largest official community fundraiser for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

It was the Lee Freedman-trained Elliez Star that took out the 2023 silverware on the Gold Coast Polytrack with Jai Williams on board.

That same day, Shez Notorious was driven to victory by Jonah Hutchinson in the Pink Ribbon Raceweek Trophy at Albion Park, while the spoils went to the Sean Galloway-trained Springtime Jet at the greyhounds meeting on the Thursday night.

Jaden Lloyd steered Mission Of Love to a win in the Pink Ribbon race on the Sunday afternoon at Corbould Park to cap off the fundraising week.

Robyn said work had already begun on making the event bigger and better in 2024.

“We’ve cracked $250,000 and we never go backwards - each year we really increase the fundraising, so I’m really going to have to pull the rabbit out of the hat to ensure that we still hit the 250 mark next year,” Robyn said.

“You could even say I’m happy to take on any suggestions that people might have that can help us make that happen!

“I’m already asking people to come up with some ideas so we can ensure we crack that 250 again.”

Breast cancer remains the most common cancer in Australia, with 57 women and men diagnosed every day – and one in seven women being diagnosed in their lifetime.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation’s goal is zero deaths from breast cancer by 2030.

The Pink Ribbon Raceweek is also made possible by the ongoing support from Sky Racing.

Click here to find out how you can get involved with the 2024 Pink Ribbon Cup.