Dubbo’s Steve Townsend just wanted to give back to a mental health organisation when he purchased hundreds of dollars worth of tickets in a raffle last year.
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Mr Townsend never thought he’d actually win the Australian Horizons Foundation ‘MADSAM’ raffle but earlier this month he got a call saying he was the winner of the prize.
The local car enthusiast was handed over the keys to a 1971 Ford Capri, valued at $120,000 on January 30.
Mr Townsend is a self confessed Ford fan and said it took a couple of days to sink in that he was the winner.
“I just entered because all the money was coming back into regional areas for mental health…. for farmers doing it tough,” he said.
“It didn’t bother me what the tickets were worth.”
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Mr Townsend said he will hold onto the car for a while and work out later what he’ll do.
The hot rod was previously owned by Sam Surace, who offered it as the raffle’s winning prize upon hearing the work Australian Horizons Foundation were doing for rural mental health.
“I was just trying to help out in any way I can for mental health and suicide prevention,” he said.
Mr Surace and his team, including Anitta Donlon traveled more than 20,000 kilometres across Australia between August to December 2018, to advertise the raffle.
The Australian Horizons Foundation originally traded as Gulf Horizons Foundation, a charity formed in Queensland, in 2011, in response to the drought, flood, fires and more that were causing pressure to rural communities.
It has grown into a Foundation that focuses on raising funds from sources, then distributing those funds across Australia, to rural organisations, charities, associations and communities.
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Mark Rudd, fundraiser co-ordinator for Australian Horizons Foundation said he was blown away by the generosity.
“What hit home for me was when we were … selling tickets at Summernats… and people were just coming up to buy tickets to support the cause…,” he said.
Mr Rudd said many people who purchased tickets that day revealed their own stories of mental health.
“We realised we were on the right track… we’re glad to be able to help and we hope that as the Foundation continues to grow we’ll be able to give more and more support to rural communities,” he said.