A BORDER teacher will be sporting a new set of wheels after she won a Holden Colorado LTZ dual cab in a raffle that raised $200,000 for the James McQuillan Future Fund.
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About 200 people finished off their Friday at the SS & A Club, hopeful they might start next week in a brand new car.
The lucky winner, St Anne’s Primary School teacher Gemma Burke, was not there on the night, but said the feeling was “overwhelming”.
“We bought tickets just to help James and now I feel selfish because it is helping us as well,” she said.
“We ended up buying five tickets because we saw his progress in the news and found it so inspirational.
“It is just incredible, you just don’t dream of it happening to you.”
The fundraiser was the biggest one yet for the Albury Ovens and Murray footballer, who is recovering from an on-field spinal injury he suffered last year.
McQuillan said it was “unbelievable” that all 20,000 tickets were sold.
“Unfortunately being in the position I am in is not cheap, but with the support of everyone, not only for travel, but everything else they have done for me is absolutely unbelievable. I’m not sure how they managed to do it, they must have knocked doors down.
“I can’t thank everyone enough but I can give it a good crack.”
The car raffle’s promoter, John Dowling, said it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the community, the SS&A and Holden for donating the car.
“I want to thank the community of Albury Wodonga and the broader community of Victoria and NSW for their outstanding support of the James McQuillan Future Fund,” he said.
McQuillan hopes to return to Albury on a more permanent basis in the next few months.
