OVER $10,000 in fundraising has already been generated and over 1000 raffle tickets have been sold for Billie Kinder’s Equifest Evening of Hope - a fundraising event to support Assistance Dogs Australia and people living with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Tickets are $25 for the event, which will take place at the Hawkesbury Showgrounds this Friday, March 31, during Equifest - a five-day horse show and competition which will also be hosted at the Showgrounds.
According to Richard Lord, CEO of Assistance Dogs Australia, it can take up to two years and costs over $30,000 to train each assistance dog to meet the individual needs of their new owner.
“We’ve only placed 12 dogs with people with PTSD so far - it’s brand new,” Mr Lord told the Gazette.
For the past six months, the Kinder family of Pitt Town have been using the money generated from sales of Billie Kinder’s book, Hope, to fund an assistance puppy, also named Hope.
The book is a collection of Billie’s poems, narratives and artwork, put together by her family following her untimely death. Billie was killed in a tragic horse accident in May last year, when she was only 12 years old.
The Equifest Evening of Hope is being held in honour of what would have been Billie’s 13th birthday, and all money raised will go towards an assistance dog for someone living with PTSD. The dog will be named Billie.
The event will begin at 6.30pm and go through to 10.30pm, with food, drink, dancing, live music from After Dark, and an open and silent auction. Open auction items include: a whale-watching trip for four on Fantasea Cruises; a day pass for two to the V8 Supercars (including a lap in one of the cars); paintings; signed sports memorabilia; food, plant and clothing vouchers; and tools.
A raffle will also be drawn on the evening, with the major prize a holiday for two to the Whitsunday Islands and Great Barrier Reef, including flights, accommodation, day trips cruises, a snorkelling tour, a jet ski tour and a food voucher, all valued at over $5000.
Tickets for the event are $25 and can be purchased from the Equifest website at www.equifest.com.au.
Tickets for the raffle are $10 each and can be purchased on the evening of the fundraiser, or prior to the event at the Fly High Billie website at www.flyhighbillie.com. Billie’s book Hope can also be purchased from the website.