Bowls club cup event to raise funds

ON the eve of the Melbourne Cup, the Ballarat Bowling Club are inviting everyone to help raise funds for the venue with a Calcutta next week.

Venue manager Aaron Peterson estimated the event will be the club’s first event of its kind in more than a decade.

“It’ll include a two-course meal and we’ll do a race form for the Melbourne Cup that entails a raffle which will be $5 per ticket, and that will go into a prize pool,” he said.

“We’ll then auction off the horses in the Cup and all 24 runners in the Calcutta will have the option to buy. If that horse wins, you’ll get a percentage of the prize pool between the Calcutta and the auction money.

“That will all be divvied up between the 24 winners, and the club.”

Other recent fundraising initiatives through the club include bogan bingo and barefoot bowls.

Racing.com’s Matt Stewart will host the event while Mr Peterson said he expects about half a dozen to 10 racing industry representatives to serve as guest speakers.

He said the funds raised will go towards essential works for the 160-year-old club’s home at Havelock Street.

“We’re aiming at redevelopment in the next five to 10 years with council,” he said.

“We need a new roof which has been quoted at over $100,000 and we want to upgrade our women’s and disability facilities.

“The club venue’s fairly old and hasn’t had any work for about 20 years so this is about bringing it up into the first century.”

Tickets are $65 per person while a joint ticket between the event as well as the races at Ballarat Turf Club can be purchased for $75.

The event will run from 6pm on Monday 4 November. To book, contact Mr Peterson on 0494 181 009.