The rewards of giving

It’s a call that no one genuinely believes they will receive when they buy a ticket in one of the annual Audi Foundation fundraising raffles. Yet twice a year, one – or as has been the case in 2025 – two participants, receive a call to tell them that their philanthropic support of the Audi Foundation and its charity partners has netted them an unexpected windfall.

Most recently, it was Craig Phillips’ turn to receive a call out of the blue to tell him he had in fact been drawn as the winner of the grand prize in the 15th Audi Foundation fundraising raffle. The prize this time around was the striking RS3 Sportback in Kyalami green, valued at $123,318.29 (drive away).

This was the first time Craig had entered an Audi Foundation raffle, having heard about the major fundraising initiative of the Foundation when he recently upgraded his vehicle to an Audi Q5.

Like so many before in the history of these raffles, Craig’s feelings on the day oscillated between disbelief and a mild suspicion that he might in fact be the victim of a prank, given that he had never won anything substantial before in his life.

But now that he has had time to process the win, not to mention take possession of the potent RS3 Sportback, the realisation that his newly acquired Q5 will be sharing the garage with another Audi has begun to sink in. As to which Audi will assume the role of Craig’s daily driver though, is yet to be decided.

As was also the case in the first raffle conducted this year, a second prize was also on offer to another participant. On this occasion, that prize took the form of an exclusive weekend for two to attend the FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2026 as a guest of Audi Australia. The prize includes airfares to and from Melbourne for the event as well as luxury accommodation, track access and transfers and arguably the best vantage point at the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit from which to take in all of the action.

Valued at $33,000, this extraordinary prize went to another first time AF raffle participant, Kylie Bateman, who likewise had never won anything remotely like this before.

Kylie became aware of the Audi Foundation fundraisers which are held twice each year, through regular updates she receives from Audi Australia regarding new models, special sales events and company news. Unlike most past winners though, Kylie was at least aware that the phone call to tell her she’d won was not a prank call when ‘Audi’ came up on her mobile. Nevertheless, the win still came as a huge surprise to Kylie and took quite a while to sink in.

Although Kylie is an Audi owner, up until this point, she admits that her interest in motorsports and Formula 1 has been limited to say the least. But now that she is in possession of tickets to next year’s historic event, Kylie has started watching the celebrated Netflix series, Drive to Survive to learn about the sport.

This will stand Kylie in good stead when she is taking in all of the action of the historic race from the luxurious Audi Trackside Suite at Melbourne’s Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit next March, an event she says she is ‘very excited to be a part of as a guest of Audi Australia’.

Of course quite aside from these two lucky supporters, the other winners from the most recent Audi Foundation raffle are as always, the countless people touched by the various programs run by the Foundations not-for-profit partners. Since its inception in 2017, the Audi Foundation has formed partnerships with a range of charitable organisations with a proven track record in their respective areas, providing ongoing financial support so that these organisations have been able to continue their life-changing work.

To date, more than seven million dollars has been raised for these charitable programs, with funds coming through the brand’s national dealer network, the donations of generous individuals and of course the two fundraising raffles held each year.

Those funds raised go on to be used in a range of diverse areas, all based around the Audi Foundation’s core pillars of medical research and the purchase of vital medical equipment, to furthering positive mental health outcomes and youth well-being and education.

The results of these programs are impressive and their impacts far-reaching, from the groundbreaking research of the Children’s Cancer Institute and the extraordinary work of the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation. Then there is the unique approach of the CanToo Foundation and the ongoing purchase of much-needed medical equipment for children’s hospital wards through the Humpty Dumpty Foundation. 

In the mental health space, organisations like batyr Australia, RUOK? and Bully Zero each provide programs that help people in differing demographics to deal with pressures that often threaten to overwhelm, while not-for-profits focusing on youth education and well-being are also supported through the work of the Country Education Foundation of Australia, Youth Opportunities, Zephyr Education and the Clontarf Foundation.

The work right across all of these pillars and organisations has a proven, long-term track record and continues to deliver outstanding results and positively changes lives right across Australia.

Congratulations to the winners of this latest Audi Foundation raffle, who will no doubt enjoy the unexpected but very welcome bonus that came with their decision to purchase a ticket and support the Audi Foundation’s work. Their support, along with all of the other participants, have a real and lasting difference on the lives of others.