A FUNDRAISER helping the families of children living with cancer on the Border is well on its way to reaching its first million dollars.
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The Riverina Redneck Rally has raised more than $700,000 for Country Hope, a charity supporting children with cancer and life-threatening illnesses across Albury-Wodonga, Wagga and Griffith.
Event director Gavin Gilbert said he is expecting to hit the "magic million" next year.
The participants, which included 12 teams from Albury, collected $333,514 at this year's event.
"Each team has to raise $2500 to participate but no one stops there," Mr Gilbert said.
"This year the top fundraiser reached $18,000 which is just incredible.
"Teams raise money in all the usual ways but there are some interesting ones, including a pig race we went to last year which raise almost $10,000 alone."
Mr Gilbert said the event doesn't just include people from the area where Country Hope operates.
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"We have had people from Queensland, South Australia and places take part and what I think is the main drive is it's fun and all the money raised goes directly to Country Hope," he said.
"The more people from around the Albury region the better because it also gets more awareness out there about what Country Hope does."
Mr Gilbert said the money will help about 190 children this year alone.
"Country Hope do not receive government funding like a lot of the larger support groups so they are the sole beneficiary of all our efforts."
Mr Gilbert said he started the rally because there was "nothing like it" in the area.
"I have done a lot of different rallies around the place but we wanted to do something that supported Country Hope and do it in the area," he said.
Burrumbuttock father Kari Sattler said "once you do the rally, it becomes addictive".
"The rally is an experience in its self - you meet lots of great like-minded people and just have a great time," he said.
"A lot of us take for granted having healthy kids and sometimes we are blinded to the stuff going on in the background of families struggling and that is why I think Country Hope is such a great charity to support."
