Girls’ night gives thousands to great cause

THE Ballarat Trotting Club welcomed just over two hundred women to their annual Girls Night Out last Thursday.

A fundraiser for youth bullying and suicide prevention charity Dolly’s Dream, the evening of racing, food, friendship, and entertainment in the Terrace Restaurant generated $13,000 through ticket sales, auctions, and raffles.

The Flying Horse’s venue manager Rebecca Bell said supporting the charity, which has a particular focus on cyberbullying, was more fitting than ever as many young people have lived device-centric lives while in COVID-19 isolation.

“This fundraiser was initially planned for 2020. We, and the charity, didn’t know if it would ever go ahead, so it was a great feeling when the night rolled around,” she said.

“I called Dolly’s Dream on Friday and let them know we’d had our fundraiser and they’d been excitedly waiting for the call. They were stoked to hear how much we’d raised.

“To hear their gratitude, it made it even more worth it, and we are so thankful to all the local businesses who supported the night and donated prizes because we couldn’t have done this without them.”

As Dolly’s Dream is a national charity, Ballarat Trotting Club also made a donation of $500 to the Ballarat and District Suicide Awareness Network on the night.

The Girls Night Out initiative has raised more than $120,000 since it was established, and supports a different local or national cause every year.