SA Variety Bash Fundraising Reaches New Heights As HOGS And The Runaway Brides Take Top Honours
Before the costumes came out and the colourful cars hit the road, two SA Variety Bash crews had already clocked up a pretty impressive number.
Car HOGS and Car MLC, better known as the Runaway Brides, raised a combined $325,140 for Variety SA this year, taking out the top fundraising honours for the 2026 Bash.
Car HOGS led the charge with an incredible $202,040, while the Runaway Brides raised $123,100.
Both crews were awarded Platinum Hearts, a new fundraising level introduced this year to recognise exceptional fundraising efforts by Bash entrants.
Raising more than $200,000 in a year is an incredible achievement, but for HOGS, big fundraising totals are nothing new.
HOGS Keep Bringing Home The Bacon
The Victorian-based Car HOGS crew first joined the SA Variety Bash in 2006 and has since become one of the event’s most successful fundraising teams.
Travelling in their yellow 1974 Ford Fairlane, HOGS have repeatedly found themselves at the top end of the fundraising tally.
In 2015, they were the Bash’s highest fundraisers with $142,238, and by 2019 they had claimed the title for six consecutive years, raising $201,233 that year alone.
They were back on top in 2023 with another $210,279.15 and have now done it again, adding $202,040 to the Variety coffers in 2026.
And there appears to be no great secret behind the extraordinary totals, just plenty of time and plenty of asking.
Former SA Variety Bash chairman Darren Greatrex has previously spoken about the HOGS crew travelling from Victoria to South Australia on fundraising weekends, collecting outside supermarkets and visiting pubs as they worked to build their annual tally.
Those weekends have reportedly brought in anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 at a time.
Twenty years after their first SA Bash, the collection tins are clearly still doing the job.
Runaway Brides Race To Platinum
Joining HOGS in the new Platinum Heart club are some familiar faces from Port Lincoln.
Car MLC, the Runaway Brides, have also been part of the SA Variety Bash for many years, with long-time “Boss Bride” Sandra Lukin among the driving forces behind the team.
The crew travels in a 1984 Holden WB Statesman, with its lineup changing across the years and Sandra, Deb White, Simone Bertram and Justine Carey among the Brides involved in recent Bashes.
Their fundraising has been firmly backed by the Eyre Peninsula community, with events, raffles, donations and a fair bit of physical punishment helping clock up the tally.
The Brides have been among the Bash’s biggest fundraisers for years, raising $127,730 in 2023 and finishing second behind a crew they know rather well by now, Car HOGS.
In 2024, Simone and Justine took fundraising to slightly more painful territory, tackling 50 kilometres in the Simpson Desert Ultra to raise money for Variety.
The Port Lincoln Tuna Classic has also supported Variety through Car MLC, while this year’s Marina Mingle brought supporters together for lunch, raffles and prizes during the fishing event.
More SA Variety Bash Crews Take Home Gold
The big fundraising efforts didn’t stop with the two Platinum recipients.
Six crews were recognised with Gold Hearts for their 2026 fundraising efforts, including OV1 – Darren & Tony, Car 727 – Mallee Bulls, Car RED – The Wiggles, Car WB83 – Peninsula Pirates, Car ELMO, and Car 67 – Pinocchio.
Silver and Bronze Heart recipients were also recognised, with the full list of 2026 fundraising award winners available through Variety SA
While the cars and costumes are currently making their way through regional South Australia on the 2026 SA Variety Bash, it’s the money raised before and along the way that sits at the heart of the event.
Funds raised help Variety SA support children who are sick, experiencing disadvantage or living with disability.
And with $325,140 between this year’s top two fundraising crews alone, HOGS and the Runaway Brides have given the 2026 Bash one hell of a head start.
