Godfrey stresses importance of Bonanza

Mar 8th, 2020
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SCUNTHORPE promoter Rob Godfrey is urging supporters to attend the Ben Fund Bonanza at the Eddie Wright Raceway this Saturday (March 14th) at 2pm.

Godfrey is also chairman of the British Speedway Promoters’ Association and he is fully aware of the good work that the Speedway Riders’ Benevolent Fund charity does in assisting both short-term and, in particular, long-term injured speedway riders.

Godfrey says: “The Ben Fund Bonanza has played a pivotal role in fund-raising for the Speedway Riders’ Benevolent Fund for many years and we are delighted to be hosting the event for the second time on Saturday.

“I will do everything to ensure that the riders will have a track surface on which they can provide some first-rate racing for everyone to enjoy.

“In a way, however, that’s almost secondary to the real reason for the Bonanza – and that’s to raise as much money as we can to swell the coffers of the Ben Fund and assist Paul Ackroyd and his team with the fantastic work they do in helping injured riders and their families in their hour of need.

“Personally, I don’t think the Ben Fund team sing their own praises enough and I can refer you all to a story that Paul told me recently that aptly sums up the good work they do.

“At Christmas, Paul found himself arranging for a specialist bed to be delivered to an ex-rider who had found himself in difficulty”, Godfrey explains.

“The hospital wouldn’t release him to go home because he didn’t have this particular type of bed, so Paul was straight on the phone, and he managed to source the correct bed and he got it delivered so the ex-rider, a former second-halver, could actually be home again in time for Christmas Day.

“This story absolutely typifies the type of work the Ben Fund does, a lot of which seems to go under the radar of publicity.

“You’ve got the disabled riders who occasionally need upgrades to their houses to make their lives more comfortable and the Ben Fund team – and we should say team, because it is a team – facilitates that and makes things happen.

“More recently, and something especially close to our hearts at Scunthorpe, we’ve had the Danny Ayres tragedy. The Ben Fund were straight onto help Danny’s family with the funeral and to be there to offer support, and they continue to do that.”

Saturday’s meeting will be the eleventh staging of the Ben Fund Bonanza and the second time the event has been held at Scunthorpe.

Admission prices are £20 adults, £15 concessions, £10 for children aged 12-16 and under 12s go free.

Most of an attractive line-up has already been revealed, and the last few riders will be announced over the next few days.

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