The greyhound racing industry in New South Wales is once again joining forces with the Mark Hughes Foundation (MHF) to raise crucial funds and awareness in the battle against brain cancer.
Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) has confirmed it will continue its partnership with the foundation throughout 2026, building on the success of the previous year's initiatives. In 2025, the industry collectively raised an impressive $120,000 for the cause.
A standout campaign from last year was the Red & Blue All November Through project, which alone generated more than $53,000 during November. The campaign saw GRNSW donate $161 for every race win on NSW tracks by a greyhound wearing either the red (number one) or blue (number four) rug. These colours represent the Newcastle Knights, the NRL team for which Mark Hughes played, while the amount of $161 symbolises the number of NRL games he played in his career.
Mark Hughes expressed his gratitude for the continued support. "We're incredibly proud to have Greyhound Racing NSW continuing their support of the Mark Hughes Foundation throughout 2026 for a second consecutive year," he said.
"After the enormous success of last year's campaign, which raised an incredible $120,000, it means so much to have the industry once again standing beside us in the fight against brain cancer. Brain cancer continues to impact far too many Australian families, and partnerships like this help give hope to those facing the disease."
Hughes also highlighted the importance of the Red & Blue All November Through initiative, which will return in November 2026. "We're especially excited for the campaign to once again culminate later in the year with the Red & Blue All November Through initiative, which brings the whole industry together in support of our mission. We're extremely grateful to GRNSW, participants, clubs and supporters for continuing to back our race to beat brain cancer."
GRNSW acting chief executive officer Brian Charman echoed these sentiments, emphasising the industry's commitment to making a difference. "It's an honour for GRNSW and all in our industry to be able to partner with and support the Mark Hughes Foundation in a small way to help raise awareness and funds to fight this insidious disease," he said.
"Our objective when entering the partnership with the MHF was to in some small way contribute financially but also to help bring the battle against brain cancer to the attention of many more people around NSW. Hopefully that was achieved."
Funds were raised through various events, including the Calcutta and Sports' Luncheon, as well as the sale of beanies during Beanies for Brain Cancer week. Individual clubs and participants also made personal donations. Additionally, $10,000 was raised from the auction of the winning post at the final Dapto race meeting in September 2025.
The renewed partnership underscores the greyhound racing community's dedication to supporting vital health causes and making a tangible impact on the lives of those affected by brain cancer.
