Generous racegoers at Sunderland Stadium dug deep on Friday night to support a racing enthusiast who has set herself a target of raising £15,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Alex Duckitt has signed up to the charity’s annual Ride of their Lives fundraising event at York Racecourse on June 14 where her and 11 other amateur riders will participate in a charity race.
The 22-year-old hosted friends and family trackside and held a raffle and bucket collection to raise vital funds with racegoers donating £1,344.23 on the night.
Guests on the night were treated to a drinks reception and a two-course meal, plus they met greyhounds recently retired from racing in search of their forever home and made a trophy presentation.
Alex described the evening as a huge success, and thanked Sunderland Stadium for supporting her cause.
“Everyone enjoyed a wonderful evening,” said Alex. “A lot of guests are familiar with horse racing, but not so much greyhound racing so to enjoy a different type of race night was a lot of fun.
“Meeting the retired greyhounds was lovely too, and all the trainers we met were more than happy to support the cause.
“A huge thank you to the whole team at Sunderland who made the evening special and helped raise a superb amount of money.”
Joanne Wilson, General Manager at Sunderland Greyhound Stadium, added: “We were more than pleased to help Alex in her mission to raise £15,000 for such a great cause.
“It was lovely to see so many first-time racegoers enjoy an evening at the greyhounds and get up close to the stars of the track by making a trophy presentation.
“We all wish Alex every success in her charity ride later this year and continuing her fundraising efforts.”
Further information about Sunderland Stadium and fundraising opportunities at the track are available online via www.sunderland-greyhounds.co.uk.
