Red rugs pay dividends

CRANBOURNE Greyhound Racing Club crossed the finish line with $700 in its fund-raiser for the Cranbourne-Narre Relay For Life event.
The club did a number of things to show its support for the Relay For Life, which was held on 17 and 18 November, through its Red For Relay campaign.
For race meetings in the lead up to the event, the club named a race each week after the event.
Also for the four race meetings before the event, the club donated $100 to the Cancer Council for every number one greyhound – the dog wearing the red rug – that wins during those race meetings.
Cranbourne Greyhound Racing Club chief executive Tony Wright said they donated $700 after seven red-rugged greyhounds won.
Relay For Life co-ordinator Jak Brannan thanked the club for not only the donation, but also for the venue for the event.
“The success of the first Cranbourne-Narre Relay For Life really hinged upon support from local clubs, residents and businesses and thanks to the Red For Relay campaign we gained local media exposure and more fundraising dollars were generated as a result,” she said.
“This will help offer various avenues of support offered by the Cancer Council Helpline, to the 885 Casey residents diagnosed with some form of cancer every year and their families.
“It is this fund-raising and community awareness that has funded research projects that led to five-year survival rates increasing to 64 per cent, the highest it’s ever been.”