At 8:45am on Friday 13 June, the founder of the national “Ride in Shorts for Leah” initiative, Phillip Smith of Balberra (Mackay), and his dedicated team of supporters will be at the Clermont Courthouse in honour of Leah Smith to draw the raffle winners in their latest asbestos awareness and fundraising campaign activities to help save lives.
When mother of two, 49-year-old Leah Smith lost her battle with malignant mesothelioma on 22 August 2024, Leah’s husband Phillip, their family and friends began their life-saving mission to prevent other families from suffering the same tragic fate as Leah had.
Devastated when Leah lost her life to this terrible but preventable disease, just eight months and one day after her diagnosis, Phillip and a team of dedicated volunteers began their mission to ensure Leah’s legacy was about saving lives through generating essential awareness of the hidden dangers of asbestos.
“One of Leahs wishes was to create awareness of the dangers of asbestos and the hideous diseases associated with exposure to asbestos fibres including deadly mesothelioma,” said Phillip Smith.
“With no known safe level of exposure to asbestos fibres, my mission now is to continue championing this life-saving awareness cause in honour of Leah in partnership with Advocacy Australia’s Asbestos Education Committee who conduct the annual National Asbestos Awareness Month campaign (November) and promotes safe asbestos management at www.asbestosawareness.com.au,” he said
Leah was a well-regarded horsewoman so to continue to help save lives in her honour, on 1 May, Phillip and the highly respected horsewomen Stephanie Wood and Jade Flack leveraged the success of the inaugural ‘Ride in Shorts for Leah’event and launched their ‘Ride in Shorts for Leah Auction & Raffle’.
Aimed at raising awareness of deadly legacy asbestos that remains in 1-in-3 Australian homes and raising vital funds to support Australia’s leading Asbestos Awareness campaign, Phillip and his dedicated team secured incredible support from a range of sponsors.
39 items are up for grabs in the nation-wide raffle and auction including 27 donated stallion stud services each valued at up to $2,000 with a massive variety of breeds on offer thanks to some of Australia’s leading stallion owners.
Priced at $20 a ticket, it took just 26 days for the last of the tickets to be sold thanks to the commitment and tireless efforts of Phil Smith and his incredible support team dedicated to ensuring Leah’s lifesaving legacy.
Raffle winners will be drawn at the Clermont Courthouse with first prize being the choice of one stallion service or one business product from the prize pool. Second prize is a $300 Fuel Voucher and third prize is a $200 Fuel Voucher, both Donated by DMR Leisure in line with terms and conditions*.
The remaining stallions and product prizes will then go up for auction online. The auction opens at 8:00am AEST on 15 June and closes at 8:00am AEST on 6 July 2025 in line with terms and conditions* with 100% of all funds raised donated to Advocacy Australia via the Ride in Shorts for Leah mycause donation page www.mycause.com.au/ride-in-shorts
Following the first prize raffle winner’s selection, the remaining stallion stud services being auctioned include a variety of breeds from miniature horses to Clydesdales and everything in between including (in alphabetical order), Bingara Roy, Boobook Royal Catt, Bremerpark Gunna Smoke Em, Copthat Rollin Ray, DMB Intimidator, Drovers Romance, FP Double Shot, Highbrow Smart Pep, Kiandra Jasper, Little Tackers Purple Rain, Loaded Smoke N Mirrors, My Shinning Ashwood, Oaks Redemption, Palo Duro Cat, Picasoes Panther, Pucker Up Girlfriend, Rumblefish, Royalle Double Your Money, Shonbar Cool Ability, SCH Ten Cats, Stylish Apache, Tapulani Dunes of Dust, Tapulani Echos of Egypt, The Man In Black, Titanium Blue, Westlide Choice and Wouriepool Carbon.
Additional items up for auction (if not selected by the raffle first prize winner) will include an Ampol fuel voucher valued at $1500 donated by New Pioneer Motors (Mackay, QLD), an Ampol fuel voucher valued at $1000 donated by Ampol Beaconsfield and DMR Leisure (Mackay QLD) with both vouchers to be used anywhere in Australia; equine products and services including two horse transport vouchers valued at $1000 each by North Queensland Horse Transport (for use within QLD); 30″ Unicorn saddle pad, beaded tack set and a set of leather split reins valued at $600 donated by Bling & Speed (Sarina QLD); an equine dental voucher from Moxham Equine Dentistry (Singleton NSW) valued at $500; a woven saddle blanket duffle/overnight bag from Aerofelt saddle pads (Ipswich QLD) valued at $220; a custom made gate voucher valued at $1000, thanks to Pride of the Outback Custom Gates; a vet, boarding kennels and petstock voucher package valued at $760, thanks to Clermont Veterinary Surgery, Clermont Boarding Kennels and Petstock South Mackay (Clermont and Mackay QLD);an outdoor lifestyle package valued at $1730, thanks to Chrystle & Co, BMC Rural Services, BCF Mackay and Belyando Building Supplies (Clermont and Mackay QLD); home décor vouchers valued at $100, thanks to Hide N Reflect (Warwick QLD); an Airlie Beach getaway valued at $440, thanks to BIG 4 Airlie Beach, Airlie Picnic Co, Intuitive Massage, Cherryl Hawkins & Mary Kernick (Airlie Beach and Mackay) and a 1770 Getaway valued at $340, thanks to 1770 Sunset Cruises and Sharon Salmon.
Those wanting to support this life-saving cause can bid on the half-priced auction, where all remaining items start bidding at half the item value or they can also donate direct via the Ride in Shorts for Leah mycause page with donations of $2 or more fully tax-deductible.
Clare Collins, Chair of Advocacy Australia and the Asbestos Education Committee said, “The dedication to honouring Leah through Phillip’s Ride in Shorts for Leah initiatives have been remarkable in raising a massive $18,381 and generating extensive awareness about the dangers of asbestos to help save lives.
“We’re deeply grateful to Phillip, his family, their supporters and the sponsors of every raffle and auction item for their dedication to helping continue Leah’s legacy of increasing awareness of deadly asbestos.
“With asbestos remaining in 1-in-3 Aussie homes, if disturbed during renovations, demolition or maintenance, they pose a serious health risk to whoever is present or nearby including children,” she said.
“Every year more than 4000 Australians die from asbestos-related diseases because they’ve been exposed to asbestos fibres in the workplace or when renovating, maintaining or demolishing properties or sheds,”
“It’s vital that owners of properties constructed before 1990 use licenced asbestos assessors or occupational hygienists to conduct an asbestos assessment and provide a report. And if asbestos is present, they should only use licenced asbestos removalists because it’s not worth the risk!”
With many Australians still unaware of asbestos risks and the asbestos-related death toll predicted to rise, Advocacy Australia’s Asbestos Education Committee is urging Australians to visit asbestosawareness.com.au because it’s not worth the risk!
-ENDS-
HASHTAGS: #AsbestosAwareness #RideInShortsForLeah #RideInShortsForLeahRaffle #RideInShortsForLeahAuction #RideInShorts #StopAndAssessYourProject #DontThinkYouCantBeAffectedDONATION LINK: www.mycause.com.au/ride-in-shorts
