Again, ‘in one’s hour of need’ it’s the ATC Foundation with a $50,000 donation to industry participants and race clubs affected by floods in northern NSW.
The Australian Turf Club Foundation has added $50,000 in funding for racing industry affected by the ongoing flood emergency in NSW as part new community grants recently announced.
The $50,000 is in addition to the $150,000 already allocated to equine and charitable organisations across NSW under a fifth round of grants from the ATC Foundation for the industry.
The ATC Foundation will work closely with the NSW racing industry in the worst affected regions to identify practical ways the donations can be used, and to keep the industry buoyant.
In previous years the ATC Foundation has provided emergency deliveries of hay bales, fencing and race club infrastructure during flood and bushfire disasters in supporting infrastructure.
ATC Chairman Matthew McGrath has reached out to Northern NSW race clubs to offer the assistance of ATC and ATC Foundation, to work together in providing financial support.
As part of a total of $200,000 in the latest donations, 14 other organisations who made applications to the ATC Foundation will receive sums of $5000 to $21,000 from funds raised in racing.
Amongst this was a donation by Mr Boniface Ho, the owner of TAB Everest runner Classique Legend, who gave a percentage of prizemoney earned in the world’s richest turf race in October.
Along with this, contributions from Australian Turf Club Members and the sale of merchandise and racing memorabilia such as saddle cloths also helped to raise considerable funds.
Additions funds are to be raised on-course through the sale of official racing memorabilia pins during the forthcoming Sydney Autumn Racing carnival, will also be used for the flood relief.
Since starting in 2018, the ATC Foundation has already raised &700,000, and has been distributed to racing and community groups around Sydney and towns across NSW.
ATC Foundation Chair Trish Egan stated “the ATC Foundation is very proud of its record in getting these funds immediately to so many groups in need, and to distribute them quickly.”
“We will work quickly to get practical help and much needed funds to communities and the racing industry in northern NSW who have been devastated by this flooding.”
“We thank Mr Boniface Ho with his incredibly generous over the past years in donating five per cent of all prizemoney won by Classique Legend in consecutive running’s of the TAB Everest.”
“ATC Members and our customers have also been very quick to help when it has been most needed,’’ with the Riding for The Disabled receiving $15,000 for a roof on their Ballina riding arena.
Solve-TAD Limited also receive a $51,000 donation with Heartbeat of Football receiving $10,000 along with the Starlight Children’s Foundation Australia and Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect).
Also receiving $10,000 is Turbans 4 Australia, The Northcott Society, the Milk Crate Theatre, Rainbow Club Australia, with $5,000 to The Big Tree Trek McGrath Foundation and Social Justice Advocated of The Sapphire Coast, $80000 to Cancer Patients Foundation and $21,200 for Learning Links.
