The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys will donate all charitable proceeds from Sunday’s 50-50 Charity Raffle presented by Green Energy Technologies to Souths Cares on behalf of Jai Arrow following the announcement of his Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis.
The money will be held in a trust by Souths Cares and used in the fight against MND and to support the Rabbitohs’ back-rower.
Arrow, a veteran of 178 NRL games for South Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast as well as 12 appearances for Queensland, announced his immediate retirement from rugby league on Wednesday following his MND diagnosis, a disease for which there is no cure.
While the Cowboys and Rabbitohs will be fierce rivals on the field this weekend, the Cowboys will make a financial contribution to the fight against MND in honour of Arrow following the game.
The initiative was approved in recognition of the extraordinary circumstances and the broader impact the news has had across the rugby league community. The raffle remains a Cowboys Community Foundation initiative, with all proceeds raised, administered and distributed under the Foundation’s charitable governance framework
“Like the entirety of the rugby league world, our club was saddened by Jai’s announcement earlier this week,” Cowboys Football Club CEO Micheal Luck said.
“Jai has been a wonderful ambassador for our game for more than a decade and I have been heartened to see the response from the NRL family over the past few days.
“With South Sydney bound for North Queensland this weekend after a difficult week for their club, we felt compelled to do our bit as Jai battles such a horrible disease.”
Cowboys Community Foundation CEO Fiona Pelling said the initiative was about standing with the wider rugby league community in support of those impacted by MND.
“The Cowboys Community Foundation exists to support people and communities facing significant challenges and this week’s 50-50 Charity Raffle is an opportunity for the rugby league community to come together in support of MND-related assistance initiatives connected to Jai Arrow and his family,” she said.
“Rugby league has always been built on community and we know our members and fans will want to stand behind Jai and everyone impacted by MND in a meaningful and supportive way.
“While the Foundation remains focused on delivering long-term programs across North Queensland, occasions like this allow us to respond compassionately when extraordinary circumstances affect the wider rugby league community.”
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