If they pull it off the money would pay for 900 bales of hay, which would feed 900 cattle for one week. 

Race-goers will don their best country outfits for the event and the $10 to $15 entry fee will be waived in lieu of a donation to the campaign.

Country music artists will perform, there will be a farm animal nursery for the kids and a range of family entertainment. 

Five race names will be sold, and other incentives will be announced, to entice supporters to dig deep.

CEO Matt Benson has a secret weapon that he hopes will generate an extra $8000 to $10,000. It will be announced in the coming days. 

He said the club sympathised with farmers across the Hunter, who have been battling drought for a year, and wanted to help. 

He challenged corporate Newcastle, and businesses throughout the Hunter Valley, to follow suit and support the cause. 

“We’d like to generate a fair bit of money from the donations at the gate, and we’ve got other strategies that we’re going to put into play. We’re pretty confident that if we can get the racing industry engaged and the patrons on the day engaged that we will give the $100,000 target a shake.”

Rural Aid CEO Charles Alder praised the club for their support. 

The Mercury, Newcastle Herald, Dungog Chronicle, Scone Advocate and Hunter Valley News have partnered with charity Rural Aid to create the Buy A Bale Hunter campaign. 

The venture has already raised more than $100,000 which has been used to buy hay, water and groceries for farming families. 

Farmers across the Hunter continue to face challenging conditions. While rain has fallen in some areas, it hasn’t been enough.

Paddocks with a green tinge are now battling a green drought – a serious situation where cattle lose more weight, and energy, looking for enough food.

Pastures are still scarce on most farms and cattle are relying on hay to survive.

With pasture growth scheduled to slow down in the coming weeks, farmers are trying to plant crops to feed their animals through winter.

To donate to the club’s race day fundraiser visit www.buyabale.com.au/njc