Daffodil raceday winner for top cause
Club raises funds for Cancer Society
The number of people being diagnosed with cancer in Hawke’s Bay is increasing every year and the Cancer Society continues to assist those who are affected.
Now, the Hawke’s Bay region is set to bloom as the Tarzino Trophy Daffodil Hawke’s Bay Raceday is once again planned for September 1.
The initiative was launched yesterday at Hawke’s Bay Racing Club where the CEO for Hawke’s Bay Racing Andrew Castles was presented with a trophy from Hawke’s Bay Cancer Society vice president Janice Klinkhamer.
It was a double celebration as August 1 is known as the “birthday” for horses in racing terms.
Castles said he had provided “carrot cake” especially for the occasion.
He also spoke about why the Daffodil Raceday had taken a whole new meaning for the club — as a member of their own staff had been undergoing treatment for throat cancer and utilising the service they had been raising funds for during the past four years.
“Craig Berge has worked for Hawke’s Bay Racing in a variety of capacities for nine years. Earlier this year he was diagnosed with throat cancer and for the past six months he’s been undergoing radiation treatment,
“There is nowhere to have radiation treatment locally so Craig was able to utilise the Hawke’s Bay Cancer Society’s shuttle service to Palmerston North for free.
“For us the work that they do has really hit home.”
The first Daffodil Race Day was held in 2014 and since then it has raised more than $90,000 for the Hawke’s Bay Cancer Society.
There are now six Daffodil Race days across the country, but Hawke’s Bay remains the flagship event and one that is the envy of the rest according to manager for media and corporate communications Kate Gourdie.
The race day is the first of three meetings for the Hawke’s Bay Racing Spring Carnival, and the money raised stays in the region.
Castles said it was an event he was extremely passionate about as it was his way of offering a helping hand to those who desperately needed it.
To make the race day even more memorable, Castles said there would be a number of special guests at the event this year.
“Silver Ferns captain Katrina Grant will be one of our sporting guests and we’ll also have a special guest from the Warriors, but who that person will be is yet to be confirmed.
“There will be a few other sporting celebrities who are lined up and they will be announced within the next few weeks.”
Castles said Daffodil Raceday was something he looked forward to celebrating every year.
“This day is fast becoming an iconic event that Hawke’s Bay can be proud of.
“The board and staff of Hawke’s Bay Racing consider it a privilege to work with the Cancer Society for the benefit of those affected locally by the awful disease that is cancer, he said.
“It really is a wonderful way to start the Bostock New Zealand Spring Carnival,”