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he AFL has announced its premier partner, Toyota Australia, has raised over $10 million for more than 1,500 local Australian clubs with the ‘Toyota Good for Footy’ and ‘Toyota Good for Cricket’ initiatives.

The Toyota Good for Footy Raffle launched in 2015, providing an opportunity for grassroots football clubs to fundraise for crucial financial support and have a platform for communities to support their local clubs.

In 2020, even despite the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the suspension of grassroots and professional sporting competitions, the program saw a record $864,480 raised across 557 community clubs.

AFL general manager of commercial, Kylie Rogers, said Toyota’s commitment to supporting local communities extends to the entirety of Australia, in partnership with the AFL.

“From Orroroo Football Club in regional South Australia, to the hundreds of clubs in metro Victoria, football clubs have embraced the Toyota Good for Footy Raffle each year with a fiercely competitive spirit,” Rogers said.

“It’s wonderful to look back and see that in the last two years alone, we’ve been able to help 750 local clubs stay strong.

“With COVID restrictions and the national bushfire crisis causing significant disruptions in 2020, the money raised by the raffles has been especially important, helping clubs to raise critical funds in the absence of live games and community events.

“I would like to thank our Premier Partner, Toyota, whose enduring support of the AFL, from the grassroots to the elite game, continues to positively impact the football community,” she said.

Toyota Australia chief marketing officer, John Pappas, said Toyota is proud to support community clubs across Australia.

“This year has been a very tough one for grassroots football with many clubs not able to play due to COVID-19 restrictions, but it has been terrific to see their local communities really get behind them by buying Good for Footy raffle tickets,” Pappas said.

“The support for the Good for Footy Raffle and clubs this year has been unprecedented with it selling out for the first time, raising a record $864,480 and contributing to more than $10 million that Toyota has helped grassroots football and cricket clubs raise through its ‘Good For’ programs,” he said.