Harness Racing Victoria supporting Prostate Cancer Awareness month

Some of Victorian harness racing’s biggest names are throwing their support behind Prostate Cancer Awareness month.

Chris Alford (left) and Greg Sugars in the Prostate Awareness colours they will be wearing throughout the month of September. Picture: HRV

Some of Victorian harness racing’s biggest names are taking part in fundraising initiatives during September to support one of their mates as well as Australian men from right across the country suffering from prostate cancer.

Kima Fenning, Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) community engagement and development partner, revealed that participants from right across the state have thrown their support behind an industry-wide initiative during Prostate Cancer Awareness month.

“We’ve partnered up again this year with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) and we’ve done that for a few years now,” Fenning said.

“This year we’ve engaged with The Long Run initiative.

“During September the PCFA is challenging everyone to walk, run or wheel 72km to support Australian men and their families impacted by prostate cancer.”

"If it saves one person (that's) well and good," Chris Alford tells #TrotsVision after the champion reinsman steered Aldebaran Zeus to victory in the Group 2 Devlin Dancer 4YO Trotters Classic while wearing the special PCFA silks.
Support #TheLongTrot: https://t.co/98WUwWTm0Apic.twitter.com/oRJ9TAAPed

— The Trots (@TheTrotsComAu) September 2, 2022

The PCFA is warning men are facing a tidal wave of risk when it comes to developing the disease with new data showing prostate cancer rates estimated to increase by an alarming 43 per cent between now and 2040.

More than 24,000 Australian men are likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year with more than 3500 Australia-wide expected to die from the insidious disease.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, ahead of breast cancer.

HRV’s has introduced a number of initiatives for the month of September in their support for the PCFA fundraising efforts.

“At HRV we’ve created a team to take part in The Long Run initiative called The Long Trot,” Fenning said.

“We set ourselves a fundraising goal of $5000 and we are already up to $4460 so we now hope to get to $10,000.

“Our team is made up of harness racing drivers and trainers, staff at HRV and other participants.

“Some of the drivers that are our ambassadors are David Aitkin, who is currently battling prostate cancer, Chris Alford, Greg Sugars.

“David’s team of horses as well as horses driven by Chris Alford and Greg Sugars will also wear HRV’s specially designed Prostate Cancer colours in races during September.

“We are recording the distances they drive in races and they are already up to 89 kilometres.

“We have a host of other fundraising initiatives we have planned during the rest of the month.

“We are auctioning off (AFL) Grand Final tickets and on September 17 at Tabcorp Park Melton we are having a Prostate Cancer themed race night.”

Originally published as Harness Racing Victoria supporting Prostate Cancer Awareness month