Fundraiser ready to take flight

THIS Sunday will see 150 pigeons take to the skies for the much-anticipated Great Australian Pigeon Race fundraiser for South West Healthcare (SWH).

Lachie and Sophie Kelly (with children Tildy and Bill)

Members of the Warrnambool Racing Pigeon Club have joined forces with SWH to celebrate the club’s 100th birthday and help raise $115,000 for a new prostate cancer detector system.

This Sunday, the pigeons will race 320 kilometres from Lascelles to Warrnambool.

Since announcing the appeal in the Weekly just three weeks ago, race organiser Suzan Morey said the fundraiser had “really taken flight.”

“Eleven Warrnambool club members have registered 150 of their beloved birds for the competition which is amazing,” Ms Morey said.

“They’ll fly across the Little Desert, Grampians National Park and the volcanic plains of western Victoria before coming in to land in Warrnambool.

“We are absolutely thrilled with the broad community-wide response this initiative has received, with sponsors from as far away as Canberra, Mornington, Echuca and Penola.

“This includes businesses, auxiliaries, clubs, families and individuals – they’ve all enthusiastically become involved by sponsoring and buying the naming rights to each of these pigeons.”

According to Ms Morey, $10,000 was raised in one day alone.

“This fundraiser really has gone even beyond all expectations,” she said.

“It has been a huge amount of fun for everyone and we’re all looking forward to Sunday’s race.”

The pigeons will take off at around 10am Sunday and by 7pm that night the race results will be known – with updates on South West Healthcare’s Facebook feed on Monday morning.