$20,000 Donated to Bushfire Volunteers WA thanks to WA Greyhound Tommy Shelby
A contribution of $20,000 has been donated to the Bushfire Volunteers WA to help them support their members, at tonight’s Perth Cup at Greyhounds WA Cannington, following the success of champion WA sprinter Tommy Shelby.
After the recently crowned WA Greyhound of the Year, Tommy Shelby, won the prestigious Australian Cup at The Meadows in February, “Team Tommy” committed a donation of $15,500 to WA Bushfire Volunteers.
In an effort to support this generosity, Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) through their Community TAB program, donated a further $4,500, bringing the total contribution to $20,000.
Trainer/owner Steve Withers, and fellow owner Jodie Harders,have donated 10% of their winnings to a charity each monththroughout Tommy’s career, supporting various organisationssuch as Telethon, Movember, Dolly’s Dream Australia, Beyond Blue, and Tommy is currently racing for the Starlight Foundationduring the month of April. Following the donation to Starlight Foundation this month, in total, $50,560 will have been raised.
Bushfire Volunteers WA President Dave Gossage AFSM said the organisation is proud to accept this donation.
“Bushfire Volunteers and our members do all we can to support local communities, which is why we’re so proud to accept this donation from the community behind Tommy Shelby on behalf of our members,” Dave said.
“As devastating as the events of the past year have been for our state, the way we as a community have responded reinforces how valuable our Local Government Bush Fire Brigades and members truly are.”
“This donation will help us to continue to support our volunteer members, and make a difference to those who sacrifice their time to look after our state.”
RWWA CEO Ian Edwards said the dedication Team Tommy show on and off the track is remarkable.
“Is it incredible to see the generosity and commitment that Team Tommy have shown in sharing their success with those in need, and it is a privilege to help support that through our additional donation from RWWA,” Ian said,
“Following the devastation WA has seen from bushfires this year, it is important to support our bushfire volunteers in the tireless work they do to protect Western Australians and their homes.”
Tommy, who is fondly known as the ‘People’s Dog’, recently made his mark as a million-dollar chaser after winning the Group 1 Golden Easter Egg Final at Wentworth Park last week, making his total career prizemoney $1,007,065.
Tommy has become the first Western Australian greyhound to join the million dollar club, with only seven other greyhounds having achieved the feat in Australia, including Fanta Bale, Good Odds Harada, Dyna Double One, Mystic Riot, Handsome Prince, Tornado Tears and Tommy’s father Fernando Bale.