Former test cricketer Matty Hayden with from left, Andrew Hallas, Zoetis; Nolan meats director, Terry Nolan; Kev Wilson, Zoetis Qld regional sales manager, and competition winner Mark Torrens, Neusa Vale.

IT’S not every day that a test cricket legend arrives at a beef producer’s house-yard for a weekend barbie and a scratch game of cricket.

As part of a charity partnership between the McGrath Foundation and Dectomax, former Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden came to Gympie district beef producer Mark Torrens’s Neusa Vale property on Saturday for a steak barbie as part of a fundraising project backed by Zoetis.

Mark and 20 of his friends and family gathered for the occasion, after his name was drawn as a lucky winner, after purchasing a specially-marked pink tub of Dectomax cattle drench.

Mark, who also works as a team-leader at the nearby Nolan Meats beef processing plant at Gympie, welcomed Matt onto his property on Saturday, with a fully-catered lunch and backyard cricket match.

“We were happy buying the pink tubs knowing that the proceeds were going to a great cause, so I was pretty stoked to find out that I won the lunch with Matt,” he said.

The group shared a great Nolan ‘Private Selection’ steak, a few beers and some yarns with the Queensland batting great.

The prize is a culmination of the partnership between the McGrath Foundation and Dectomax that began with ‘The Dectomax Little Legends of Townsville’ charity cricket day with Matt Hayden in November last year. Since then, Dectomax Pour-on and Injectable tubs were turned pink, and a percentage of each sale was donated to the McGrath Foundation, which places McGrath Breast Cancer Nurses in communities across Australia, including regional Queensland.

It is estimated that nearly 3000 Queenslanders are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. This leaves many rural patients and their care-givers needing vital support to help them get through this difficult experience.

$70,000 raised for breast cancer

Merchandise and re-seller businesses in Queensland jumped on board the competition, displaying eye-catching posters and large cut-outs of Matt Hayden in-store to urge producers to buy the pink products for a chance to win the exclusive prize, and help support thousands of Queensland families affected by breast cancer.

A total of $70,000 was donated by Dectomax manufacturer, Zoetis, from the sales of the pink-packaged products. Between $85 and $110 from each sale, depending on pack-size, was donated directly to the McGrath Foundation.

“Queensland beef producers should feel proud to know that by purchasing any of the pink tubs, they have helped to raise much-needed funds that will assist more families in regional and rural areas to get the care they need while experiencing breast cancer,” said Zoetis regional livestock sales manager, Kevin Wilson.

For Matthew Hayden, he was excited to make another journey north as part of the partnership.

“I’ve been a proud supporter of the McGrath Foundation for many years and I was pleased to be able to travel to Gympie to celebrate a great cause with the Mark, the competition winner,” he said.

Source: Zoetis