Newtons Haybales to Drought Farms
Newton's is a downhill skateboard race, started in 2008, part of the IDF World Cup tour. 0n February 17th - 19th 100+ skaters from around the world will race down Mt Panorama, relying on haybales along the course for the safety of their lives. On 20th February there will be 650 haybales lining the Mt Panorama road.
On the 23rd February 2017 is the start of the 12th annual Burrumbuttock Hay Run. The hay run is about mates helping mates. Hay is gathered and trucked to drought stricken farms for temporary relief for farmers that need it most.
Drone video of all the hay at last years run
We are asking the downhill community to sponsor a haybale. If you donate $10, you sponsor a haybale, and it will go directly to a farm in drought.
Rotary is a major partner of the Hayrunners organisation, and ASRA board member Bruce De Graaf, a Rotarian, told us about the amazing work of the Hayrunners. At the IDF Mt Keira race in 2016, ASRA cooked up a plan. We should be donating our haybales to the hayrunners, and with Bruce's help we are making that happen in 2017.
However, hay is one of the major items in an ASRA event budget. This year that cost is $6500 or 650 times $10 a bale. After considering how to offset this cost, we have decided to take a leap in faith and trust we can make up the shortfall. That is where this GoFundMe campaign kicks in. We are asking for skaters, their friends and the general downhill community around the world to help us fund the haybales we need for Newtons. If we raise no money, ASRA is still donating the haybales. We are committed, the Burrumbuttock Hay Run is getting all 650 haybales from Newtons. They are getting picked up on Sunday afternoon, after the last race finishes.
Newtons is an event unique to Bathurst and regional NSW. Although it is a youth event, a skateboarding event, and most of the competitors come from outside the region, we believe it is a Bathurst community event. We appreciate the support we have received from Bathurst Council, the encouragement we have received from local businesses, and we want to do something to give back, and for the regional community we rely on for this event to be proud to have Newtons back on their yearly calendar.
Please help us reach our funding goal. Sponsoring just one haybale is only $10, but it will mean so much to a farmer in need. This is not some monetary donation to a charity. You will be donating a physical object (haybale) directly to a farm in need.
This is about mates helping mates. The skateboard community extending its hand to help the farming community. If we are successful, then we could make every ASRA event, a charity event. Events will be cheaper to run, so there will be more of them. Regional councils will see more value in having racing events, as we contribute back to a regional charity.
This funding is for ASRA (Australian Skateboard Racing Association). We are a non profit sporting association. There are no paid jobs within ASRA, we are supported and run by volunteers. There is no promoter, or a "for profit" part of Newtons in 2017. The private promoter, Tom Thumb Pty Ltd, has given the Newtons Nation website, name and associated trademarks to ASRA to use for free. They do not get any monetary value from the Newtons event in 2017. They are also not associated with ASRA in anyway, no director of Tom Thumb is a board member of ASRA. Your donation goes directly to benefit a non profit organisation, and a farmer in need.
Sponsor now, $10, $20, $100, or just $1. There is no minimum and no maximum. Just sponsor what you can.
Think about this...
Next time you lose control, sliding along the Mt Panorama road, heading towards a haybale, thinking this is going to hurt, you can look on the bright side and say to yourself, Burrumbuttock Hay Run...I'm smashing this haybale for you!!
Still not convinced?
Sunrise did a video that shows why this is an awesome charity to support
Thank you for reading
James Hopkin
ASRA President