A record-breaking steer auction at Maitland Saleyards on Monday morning raised more than $5000 for Cessnock Relay For Life team, The Odd Squad.
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The team comprises Quorrobolong’s Barraba Santa Gertudis stud owners Geoff and Linda Payne and family and friends.
They held a raffle to win half the proceeds of the auction of Sam, a 605-kilogram steer.
Bowe and Lidbury donated their services for the auction on Monday, and Sam fetched a record $16.74 per kilogram – a total of $10,127.70.
Janelle Drummond of Cessnock was the lucky raffle winner, while the other half of the proceeds will go to The Odd Squad’s fundraising total (bringing it to more than $7500 – the highest of any team in this year’s Relay).
The Odd Squad has been involved in Cessnock Relay For Life for two years now, and this unique idea for a fundraiser was their way of being able to do something to help local cancer patients.
“I run out of fingers when I count how many of my family and friends have been affected by this horrible disease,” Mr Payne said.
“It doesn’t discriminate, and this is our way of being able to give a bit of support to a very worthy organisation.”
Cancer Council community relations coordinator Clint Ekert thanked the Odd Squad, Bowe and Lidbury and the buyers at the auction for their generosity.
“Fundraisers like this are what make our area unique,” Mr Ekert said.
“The results shown here today people in our region are amazingly generous and value the work we are able to do with the funds that are raised by our communities.”
More than 300 people braved the rain on Saturday to take part in the Relay at Baddeley Park.
The event has raised more than $87,000 for Cancer Council NSW to carry out vital programs and services, such as the Cessnock transport-to-treatment service.
“Since March we have seen almost 200 unique clients use this service; numbers like this for a town the size of Cessnock are scary,” Mr Ekert said.
“But how nice is it to know that with the efforts of our fundraising, we are able to help these people in their time of need.”
Donations can still be made at relayforlife.org.au/cessnock.
Check out photos from Saturday’s Cessnock Relay For Life in the gallery below.
Check out aerial footage of the survivors’ and carers’ lap in the video below.