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Sunshine State drivers dive into Pacing For Pink

22 April 2022

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By Jordan Gerrans

After a decade of raising much-needed funds in Victoria, Pacing For Pink is set to expand into Queensland in 2022.

Throughout May, male and female drivers in the Sunshine State will proudly wear pink pants in the sulky as everyone in the industry pitches in to raise money to fight against breast cancer.

Around 15 drivers in Queensland will don the pink pants for the month as the concept goes nation-wide for the first time this year.

The initiative started in the country town of Cobram in Victoria back in 2011 and will expand to Tasmania, Western and South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland this year.

It went Victoria-wide for the first time in 2021.

Margaret Watson – the coordinator of Pacing for Pink – said the Victorian concept got so popular they just had to expand.

“It was so successful that there were drivers from other states who wanted to be a part of it, so I got in touch with all the other states and they have all come on board for this year,” Watson said.

“Queensland has done an amazing job getting drivers on board.”

Watson explained that she initially was not going to invite Queensland to be involved following the flood devastation and Albion Park being out of action for some time but she has been blown away by the support from the drivers and wider industry in the state.

“It has been a wonderful response from Queensland, particularly with all the problems they have been facing these past weeks due to horrific flooding,” Watson said.

Pacing For Pink started out small with just female drivers wearing the pink pants, raising $9,000 in their first go at it.

Last year they tallied $66,700 – which was double what they had ever raised before in a single year -  as they have now raised more than $180,000 over the years of the initiative.

Racing Queensland has approved the wearing of pink pants by the drivers throughout May to support the raising of funds for breast cancer.

Drivers wearing different coloured pants to raise important funds is nothing new to Queensland harness racing viewers, with the annual Team Teal campaign always a popular time of the year.

Funds raised from the Pacing for Pink campaign will be donated to the McGrath Foundation.

 

Drivers and sponsors participating in the pink pants campaign:

  • "Butler Racing" - Chloe Butler
  • "Butler Racing" - Brendan Barnes
  • "Butler Racing" - Leonard Cain
  • BCR - Lachie Manzelmann
  • Artie's  Demolitions Pty. Ltd. - Amanda Payne
  • Artie's  Demolitions Pty. Ltd. - Narissa McMullen
  • BetaVET Australia - Brittany Graham
  • Orion Park Racing - Nathan Dawson
  • Bottletree Hotel - Taleah McMullen
  • Bloody Brilliant Beers - David McKenzie
  • Jewel Racing - Gemma Hewitt
  • Summit Bloodstock ABR - Ricky Thurlow
  • Turpin McMullen Racing - Chantal Turpin
  • Turpin McMullen Racing - Pete McMullen