
The Pink Pigeon festival is about to take flight this weekend, and Trangie's pigeon whisperer and event organiser, Shane Dalton says he has a "red hot favourite" for the 2019 event.
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From pink sheep to pink pigeons, a golf tournament and twilight bowls the community is encouraged to come together and support the event that raises money for the breast cancer foundation.
The festival is celebrating it's 10th anniversary, and while it's tough times for the community Mr Dalton said every dollar counts.
"I wasn't going to do anything because of the drought, but the farmers said 'come on Shane keep it going', so they're the ones that really instigated it, which was really good and made me buck up a little," he said.
"Cancer doesn't stop because there's a drought, so we've just got to battle on.
"While the funding might not be what it was over the last couple of years, a dollar we make is a dollar we never had."
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This Sunday the festival kicks off with the charity golf day and pigeon calcutta at the Narromine golf club.
The event is a $20 per person ambrose which includes a barbecue and nibbles before and after the tournament which kickes off at 12pm Sunday, December 8. The calcutta will follow and will feature live entertainment by Sam Coon.
"I've got a red hot favourite this year, this is our 10th anniversary of doing it, and I haven't tipped one winner but I'm on the pace now, Glenn McGrath will win by four kilometres," Mr Dalton said ahead of Sunday's calcutta.
Then Monday, December 9 there will be a charity pink sheep sale at the Dubbo saleyards from 10.30am.
"We've got eight prime lambs going down in their nice pink attire to be cautioned off, donated by local drought-ridden farmers," Mr Dalton said.
I've got a red hot favourite this year, this is our 10th anniversary of doing it, and I haven't tipped one winner but I'm on the pace now, Glenn McGrath will win by four kilometres.
- Trangie pigeon whisperer and event organiser Shane Dalton.
This year Bill and Lucy Ferguson have also donated 20 prime bales of lucerne hay which will also be auctioned off.
"It's a very, very generous donation. It's unbelievable," Mr Dalton said.
"So any horse trainers or any hobby farmers out there come down and grab yourself a bale and it all goes to a great cause."
Mr Dalton hopes he can gain the support from surrounding towns, such as Dubbo to support the festival.
"The farmers are the ones who still really wanted it, and you know just because it's a drought the breast care nurses have still got to work, so we've got to try and raise some money," he said.
"I'm not expecting too much, but with a bit of luck we might have some big business men in Dubbo who have made a bit of a good living, not relying on the land as much and might be able to chip in and buy a pink sheep."
A twilight bowls evening and the pink pigeon race will also be held in early January.