Pretty in pink: Lamb adds a splash of colour to charity auction

A lamb painted pink has stolen the show at a charity auction in Dubbo, managing to raise over $2,000 for the Breast Cancer Network Australia.

The 7kg lamb, donated by Fletcher Internationals, was auctioned off three times during the Dubbo Prime Lamb Hoof and Hook Competition last week, with the combined money of the bidders going to the charity.

The Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) was this year’s charity of choice, partnering with the show to raise awareness of the disease throughout the day.  

Fletchers’ international livestock manager Terry Mitchell said the lamb’s paint job was a hit with the crowd.

“Because it’s a charity auction, everyone was in a good mood and on board with it,” Mitchell said.  

“We tried to create a bit of an atmosphere by painting the sheep pink, and get people involved in something they’re not normally involved in, and it turned out really well.”

He said the founders of Fletchers, Rodger and Gail Fletcher, were very community-minded, and recognised that BCNA was trying to tackle an issue that many in the community had come face-to-face with.

Mitchell said for him the cause was personal.

“My mother-in-law is hopefully on the back end of battling breast cancer, and she’s had a pretty horrific time,” he said.  

“I know plenty of people have had similar experiences, so it was important to make sure we were supporting a good cause that resonated with everyone.”

Kirsten Pilatti, BCNA CEO, told Pro Bono News she was constantly surprised by the ingenuity of the public at raising awareness and money for the charity.

“I continue to be delighted by the ingenuity of people to come up with new ways of using BCNA’s iconic pink livery to promote awareness of the work we do,” Pilatti told Pro Bono News.

“This year more than 19,500 Australians will be diagnosed with breast cancer and the funds raised by this auction will help us continue delivering the very best support, information and care to them and all our 120,000 members.”

She added that the donation by this community was particularly generous considering Dubbo and surrounding areas were in the middle of a drought.

Unfortunately for the lamb, its new look was short lived, with the meat now ready to be thrown on the winner’s BBQ.  

The auction is held annually, with a number of other fundraising events taking place during the day.

This year saw nearly $24,000 raised for 15 charities including the Red Cross, Molly’s Army, the Dubbo Roos Under 15 team, Camp Quality and mental health charities Beyond Blue and Beat the Breakdown.