Finals fever has descended on Canberra and tickets to the Raiders matches against the Sharks last weekend and the Panthers on Saturday have been extremely sought after.
We've received numerous messages over the past week from fans looking to donate these tickets to spare who would appreciate them the most.
Raiders member Sarah and her partner Justin found themselves with two extra tickets to the Sharks game due to Ticketek issues. Instead of selling the tickets, Sarah messaged us on Facebook offering to donate the tickets to someone who may have missed out on the hottest tickets in town.
The tickets ended up being donated to a die-hard Raiders fan and her nine year old daughter, who have attended every home game for the past five years even while the daughter was undergoing treatment for leukemia.
This week has been no different. When Steve found out his wife had also jumped online and bought tickets for their family, they decided to donate them instead of trying to resell them.
Steve's message below gained over 1,000 likes on the Raiders v Panthers Facebook event page:
After an overwhelming amount of responses, Steve ended up donating the tickets to Ricky Stuart House, who were able to find a worthy family that would not otherwise have been able to attend the game.
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart was overjoyed at hearing the news of the donation and generosity of fans.
“I want to personally thank Steve and his family for donating the tickets for Saturday. It’s this type of community spirit which makes us all proud to be part of the Raiders," Stuart said.
“We want to see another huge crowd out there on Saturday night and I know I can’t wait for the Viking Clap and all of our passionate members and fans to get behind the boys.”
Raiders fan Tina also called the club this week offering spare tickets for a worthy cause. The tickets were donated to Raiders charity partner Menslink who were able to pass them onto two young men and their Menslink mentor to attend the game.
"We had some spare tickets and we were keen to give them to someone who needed them. Menslink and the Raiders do great work in the community so it was the perfect fit. I hope they enjoy the game," Tina said.
Menslink CEO Martin Fisk said the tickets were going to a great cause and vitally important to assisting the mental health of some worthy young men.
"I want to take the opportunity to thank Tina for her kind donation. These tickets will allow two young men and their Menslink mentors the opportunity to attend the biggest sporting event in Canberra this year. Something like this is a huge boost for these young guys and it will be an experience they never forget," Mr Fisk said.
The Canberra Raiders wish to express their thanks to the fans who have offered up their tickets the past week. The generosity and community spirit shown by fans has been amazing.
We know we have the most passionate and loyal supporters in the NRL and we hope to see you out there in force on Saturday night. Tickets are still available and we want to see another full house.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS FOR RAIDERS V PANTHERS
