The finale to the Ellie Stokes Trust fundraising effort will take place at a charity dinner on Thursday 22 September 2022. After a year frustrated by the Covid-19 lockdown and event attendance restrictions inspirational six times super rugby winning coach Scott ‘Razor’ Robertson joins the Trust on that day as guest speaker to culminate the fundraising effort.
The Ellie Stokes Trust Fundraising dinner will be held at The Show Gate, Riccarton Park Racecourse starting at 6:30pm and running to 11pm.
Tickets cost $130pp (includes buffet dinner and beverage package and $50 contribution to the Trust) or $1,040 for a table of eight. Tickets can be purchased here just click on the Green Box Buy Tickets. If you wish to go in a draw to sit at Scott’s table, please place your bid with Trustee Tim Mills by confidential email to [email protected].
Auction items include two wonderful and very collectable items of racing memorabilia:
· The racing plates worn by TALLYHO TWINKLETOE when winning the 2021 NZ Grand National Steeplechase. In doing so he became the only horse to win all four of the Australasian Grand National Steeplechase and Hurdle races. This is a unique and never to be repeated item with a letter of authenticity from part owner Jo Rathbone.
· A montage of the very first winning treble trained by extraordinary New Zealand thoroughbred trainer Chris Waller. Achieved on New Zealand Cup Day 1998 the montage is signed by the then Foxton based Chris and the jockeys who rode the winners.
Other auction items and fundraising activities will take place in both a live and silent format. Anyone wishing to bid by phone can contact Trustee Tim Mills on 0274 300 208 prior to the night to make arrangements.
Please assist in any way you can, buy a table, individual tickets, donate an auction item or just donate, it all helps. Dedicated back account 12-3191-0038936-51
The night will be a great and entertaining way to support Ellie and her family.
The ‘Ellie Stokes Trust’ was established in April 2021 to help Ellie Stokes a young woman whose life has changed dramatically.
Back in 2018 Ellie was working with her passion – horses – specifically, working with thoroughbred racehorses in a racing stable with the dream of one day being a jockey and eventually a racing trainer in her own right.
On Thursday 3rd January 2019 Ellie, aged 16, suffered a tragic accident that changed that dream and her life and that of her parents and sister.
Ellie fell riding track work breaking her back in five places and severed her spinal cord which has left her paralysed from the chest down. She spent three weeks in intensive care and five months at Burwood Hospital and is continuing to receive treatment.
Her family, parents Lincoln and Alison and sister Megan are dealing with these changed circumstances with the stoic strength that her family possesses but they need help.
A home specially adapted to the needs of a wheelchair has been built but there is a shortfall of $80,000 in construction and associated costs that evolved in that process.
There has been a sizeable portion of that goal achieved already and the function on Thursday 22 September should see it achieved.
The Trustees of the ‘Ellie Stokes Trust’ are Alison Stokes (Ellie’s mother), Marty Burns (NZ Thoroughbred Racing GM Welfare), Andrew McKerrow (NZTR Racetrack Chaplain), Gordon Fulton (Canterbury Jockey Club Chairman) and Tim Mills (CJC Chief Executive).