Cheer for Charity delivers $280k for WA firies

Western Australia's Volunteer Fire & Rescue Services (VFRSAWA) will receive a $280,000 boost this year thanks to Sportsbet's Cheer for Charity initiative.

Cheer for Charity encouraged racing fans to support Canya Excite Me and Rey Magnerio in the Sandgroper and Quokka legs, respectively, of Racing WA's 2026 Western Trilogy carnival.

Canya Excite Me, a two-year-old greyhound trained by Anthony Azzopardi, contributed $150,000 after leading the field to win in Thursday night's TABTouch Sandgroper.

Six-year-old gelding Rey Magnerio, ridden by West Australian racing royalty, Willie Pike, added to more than $2.1m in career prize money with a hard-fought second place in the BYD Quokka, which saw another $130,000 tipped into the VFRSAWA pot, reaching a total donation of $280,000 by Sportsbet.

Nathan Arundell, Sportsbet's Chief Commercial Officer, said the campaign had succeeded in drawing attention to the importance of the racing industry in regional communities across Western Australia.

"Around the state racing plays a vital role in supporting regional and rural communities," said Mr Arundell.

"Around the state racing plays a vital role in supporting regional and rural communities"

Image supplied by Sportsbet

"In many towns the local turf club is both a cultural anchor and a major driver of economic activity. Cheer for Charity has been a wonderful opportunity to reconnect West Australians with their local racing scene, at the same time as raising valuable funds for the volunteers across more than 90 brigades supported by the VFRSAWA."

The VFRSAWA is humbled and speechless at the generosity shown by Sportsbet for this amazing donation, and opportunity to be a recipient of Rey Magnetio's stunning Quokka performance.

"These funds will make a huge impact on our work in supporting our incredible volunteer brigades across WA. They will enable us to work on projects that encourage and inspire volunteer firefighters across more than 90 communities throughout Western Australia," said VFRSAWA Executive Officer, Tim Sonsee.