“Pink” sheep raise $8380

Organiser, Trangie publican Shane Dolton, said the annual auction had raised some $44,000 since 2011 and had helped to secure two McGrath Breast Care Nurses for the region.

On Monday 38 sheep and lambs were auctioned by Trangie agent, Peter Cruickshank, for second and third times when buyers re-donated the animal for auction again,.

Also this year a Trangie beekeeper donated 10 kilograms of honey while Fletcher International Meat Exports donated a box of lamb.

Mr Dolton said the goal was now to gain a third nurse for the region.

“We have two breast care nurses in Dubbo and we’d like another.

“The McGrath Foundation has helped more than 36,000 families around Australia so we have to keep helping them.”

One donor, Scott Purseglove, “Wahroonga”, Trangie, said he loved being a part of the charity auction.

“We’ve been involved since the start. It’s a great cause and it goes a long way,” he said.

Mr Dolton said farmers like Mr Purseglove and others including the McCutcheon brothers and Darren and Trudy Ferrari, “Westwai”, Trangie, who donated sheep deserved a lot of credit.

“Regardless of how hard a season had been on them, there were always willing to donate to the auction and likewise he said buyers were fantastic, often giving the sheep back so they could be auctioned again,” Mr Dolton said.

“I go into these things for the McGrath Foundation thinking even if you raise a dollar, it’s a dollar the foundation wouldn’t otherwise have.”

The next fundraising event for the foundation will be the Pink Pigeon races at Narromine with the three-day event including golf and cricket culminating with the pigeon race on January 9.

That event gets away on Saturday, January 7 with the annual Pink Shield Cricket match and pink bowls before the Pink golf day at Narromine Golf Club and calcutta on Sunday,

The big Pink Pigeon race starts 9am on Monday morning from Dundas Oval with Narromine Shire Council also hosting a free barbecue and kids activities.