Close to $50,000 has been raised through the Vodafone Warriors’ network in support of the #RiseForAlex cause and the New Zealand Spinal Trust.
Vodafone Warriors owners Eric Watson and Sir Owen Glenn, the board, players and club as a whole made a $20,000 donation ahead of the official #RiseForAlex Round last month.
It has now been confirmed a range of fundraising activities around the Vodafone Warriors’ home game against Manly on July 27 has boosted the total by a further $27,000-plus.
Vodafone Warriors sponsor the TAB pledged a dollar from every bet placed on the Manly match to the #RiseForAlex Fund; its contribution was poignantly capped at $16,000 in keeping with the No 16 Newcastle forward Alex McKinnon was wearing when he suffered his serious neck injury playing against Melbourne in March.
The TAB comfortably reached the $16,000 mark with more than 17,000 bets being generated, the most for a Vodafone Warriors game so far this year.
The Vodafone Warriors also ran a ‘Warriors Wicked Weekend’ auction on TradeMe which fetched $3015 from top bidder John Forbes, a Vodafone Warriors corporate member. SKYCITY, Mount Smart Stadium and Spotless contributed items for the auction.
Vodafone Warriors members, fans, players and staff provided a further $8144.50 through buying #RiseForAlex wristbands and donating to collections around Mount Smart Stadium on July 27. Vodafone and dtr provided raffle prizes in the Corporate Lounge. The grand total from all sources was $47,159.50.
“We’re so grateful for the generosity so many people have shown in supporting both #RiseForAlex and the Spinal Trust,” said Vodafone Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah.
“It was fantastic seeing the way our community got in behind this and made sure we were able to support these causes.”
The funds raised through the auction, the wristbands and the collections was split between #RiseForAlex and the New Zealand Spinal Trust.
