Pink pandemonium – in ‘true Mildura style’!

Energetic Mildura horsewoman Kate Attard puts her everything into whatever she sets her sights on – and harness racing’s Pacing for Pink month in May is no exception.

“To be honest, we just decided to do it out of the blue – I was talking to Marg (Watson), at Shepparton who organises the national Pacing for Pink promotion every year and offered to lend a hand,” Attard said.

“We initially were just looking to sell sponsorship of all the number 8s at all of our Mildura meetings in May and that would have raised about $5000.

“We got all of those taken up in a week and the whole thing has taken on a bit of a life of its own! I think everyone in the sport in Mildura has been looking for a bit of fun and something we can run with, and it looks like this will be it!” she laughed.

Attard’s local club has a busy month ahead, with four meetings scheduled for May including the final meeting of the 2024 Pacing for Pink promotion, on May 31.

The night will feature a Pink Pants Drivers’ Sprint Cup footrace, a Pacing for Pink Party in the upstairs dining room, pink themed cocktails and food, raffles, fashions on the field and a showcase of retired standardbreds in their new careers.

The Pacing for Pink promotion began at Cobram, in northern Victoria a decade ago, and is now a month-long national showcase which has raised nearly half a million dollars for breast cancer awareness and funding of Breast Care Nurses through the McGrath Foundation.

Attard said she had received huge support for the initiative from her daughter, driver Charli Masotti, and a friend Shanna Finnis, who is a harness racing owner and daughter of local trainer Robert Nolan.

“Shanna and her daughter, who is also named Charli, have been amazing – she knows everyone and she’s the one who within a week pretty much single handedly sold sponsorship for all of our number 8s,” Attard said.

“But not only that, she’s brought a lot of people in her networks on board – so we’ve got donations for raffles and other fundraisers and got a lot of the support that will make it a really fantastic and fun night.

“We’ve even got a local business Poppys Daughters blending a special Pacing for Pink scent and another local business Biscuits by Tonya is doing special pink biscuits and desserts.  It’s amazing how people have jumped on board.

“We haven’t really set a fundraising goal, but we’re hoping that this is something we can really build into a special event for our club and for Pacing for Pink.”

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink