In the wake of the Black Saturday bushfires, the Ducati Owners Club of Victoria, with a strong association with the fire areas’ roads and hospitality, decided it could raise $120,000 for the Red Cross Bushfire appeal with a raffle.
A call to Ducati Australia’s CEO Warren Lee procured a 1198s at a bargain price as the raffle prize; in three-months 1451 of the 1500 tickets were sold.
On 14th July the raffle was drawn at the DOCV’s general meeting. After the initial disappointment of not having the winner present, the call was made to tell him the good news.
In what turned out to be a fairytale ending, the winner, Don Lovison from Gippsland is a CFA volunteer and was busy fighting the fires on Black Saturday.
Could there have been a more worthy winner?
“We couldn’t have scripted it better!” said Stephen Frew, DOCV life-member and the raffle co-ordinator. “To raise $117,100 for the appeal and the spoils going to someone like Don is fantastic”.
Above: Red Cross Executive Director, Mr Andrew Hilton receiving the $117,100 cheque for the Bushfire Appeal from Steve & Sue Frew of the Ducati Owners Club of Victoria.
Don was recently presented with his new Ducati 1198s at Ducati City in Elizabeth Street Melbourne by Branch Manager, Garshon Lazarus and the DOCV’s Stephen and Sue Frew.
At the hand-over Don said: “No one believed me when I told them. I can’t wait to get it out on the roads near home”.
The handover: L to R Steve Frew, Garshon Lazarus, Don Lovison (winner) and Sue Frew. Don’s son Alex is in the foreground.
See the media release
