Blue September goes past $11,000

The money keeps rolling in for Harness Racing New Zealand's Blue September campaign.

The first weekend saw $7000 raised for the New Zealand Prostate Cancer Foundation, and now another $4000 has been added to the total courtesy of another eight wins by Blue September ambassadors over the past week.

The country's leading driver Blair Orange had another three victories, with Matty White getting a double at Cambridge last Thursday, while there was a win too for Robbie Close, Matty Williamson and Jonny Cox.

This is the third year that HRNZ has been involved, with 12 ambassadors, each wearing their distinctive blue pants, raising money every time they win a race during the month. HRNZ and clubs donate $100 per win and each driver has their own sponsors and supporters as well.

So far there have been 16 wins, and over $11,000 raised, with Orange leading the way so far with five wins.

At Methven yesterday over $600 was raised through donations as well.

The "Wear Something Blue and Help a Mate Through" promotion was also well supported. Anyone wearing blue was eligible to fill out of the form in the racebook to go into the draw for a package that included a night's accommodation at the Methven Motels and Apartments, a voucher at the Dubliner restaurant and a double pass to the Opuke Hot Pools. Kaiapoi's Jane Yellowlees (above right) was the lucky winner.

Cambridge also had a very successful Blue September fund-raiser on Thursday night where the guest speaker (very topically) was rugby commentator Tony Johnson. Just how money was raised will be known next week.

Blue September continues this week with Thursday's races at Auckland, followed by Invercargill and Addington on Friday and then the big Hannon Memorial meeting at Oamaru on Sunday.