Last week the team at Wood ‘n’ Crete in Ararat were celebrating from afar when the greyhound they were designated in the TAB Great Chase Grand Final at The Meadows, Dr. Tucker (pictured), crossed the finish line first and won them $10,000.
We have since got in touch with Wood ‘n’ Crete’s Russell Streeter to find out more about the organisation and how they plan to spend their windfall.
Q. What does the TAB Great Chase mean to Wood ‘n’ Crete and why have representatives from the group attended the community days at Horsham each year?
Russell Streeter: The Great Chase is a well organised event that provides an exciting social and community-based program that our clients look forward to throughout the year. Each person has a small wager on each race and cheers on all the dogs with great enthusiasm. They always talk about how much the event means to them, how they look forward to it, and how they plan to dress for the evening. They feel welcome and included. The organisers always make us feel welcome, provides a great meal and fantastic entertainment alongside the excitement of greyhound racing. The Great Chase is also an opportunity for our clients to visit other areas of Victoria, and they are very excited when our program is allocated a dog to follow in the races.
Q. What you are planning on putting the $10K prize money towards?
RS: When we reopen the program, we will have a ‘Race Day’ celebration, including a lavish luncheon (like at The Meadows) and screen a replay of the race.
We will also use the winnings to provide our clients with community based social activities such as attending a greyhound race meeting in Horsham, a trip to the movie theatre and picnics. Some of our clients do not usually have opportunities to attend these activities. We will also use the winnings to invest in our new development – an activities room and outdoor area. These funds will help us provide furnishings and extra supplies for activities for our clients at our day program.
Q. What can you tell us about Wood ‘n’ Crete?
RS: Wood ‘n’ Crete is an adult disability day service which operates under the banner of Ararat Day Programs, offering both centred based group activities as well as community recreation and leisure options. Wood ‘n’ Crete enables people with a disability to undertake pre-vocational skills development through our local retail business which manufactures concrete products such as house stumps, pavers, garden edging and niche products, as well as lawn mowing and recycling old pallets into wood kindling and raised garden beds, while also enjoying many recreational, education and community activities within our local area. We pride ourselves in providing our clients with a safe and enjoyable environment, enhancing the lives of people with a disability that may otherwise have limited opportunity to engage in such a wide range of activities, with clients saying how much they love coming to our program! Wood ’n’ Crete day program would like to thank GRV and TAB for the opportunity to be involved in the Great Chase for the last 15 years. We thoroughly enjoy attending both the local and metropolitan events, and the prize money we have been fortunate to receive will add value to our day program and our clients’ lives.
WATCH: Dr. Tucker (5) leads all the way, clocking 30.05sec in the G3 TAB Great Chase Grand Final at The Meadows on 21 October.
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Note: Crowds were not allowed on course during the 2020 TAB Great Chase series due to COVID-19 restrictions, however eight community group that care for the intellectually and physically disabled were allocated a greyhound in the Grand Final, and shared in $24,000. The TAB Great Chase has donated more than $650,000 to Victoria’s disability sector since it first started in 2003.
