IT'S one of the parties of the year - and Sheffield's speedway aces are doing their bit to make sure it goes with a bang.
Ahead of Sunday’s season opener at Owlerton – the club’s 90th anniversary individual meeting (4pm) – the club are delighted to announce support for some great causes.
Tigers are turning up the heat for youngsters at Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice and aim to help pay for their popular annual Christmas Party, while they're also helping the sport's Ben Fund for injured riders.
Each team member plus team manager Simon Stead will donate £5 each from their earnings on a weekly basis with the club matching the total.
And Tigers are also to auction off race-jackets to add to the total.
In a unique move to mark their anniversary, the team will wear special sets of racewear throughout the season, marking the club's achievements since 1929, which will then be made available to fans.
Said co-boss Damien Bates: "Bluebell Wood are our charity partner, a thoroughly worthwhile cause and we have a great relationship with them.
"We want to do our bit to help them and also the Ben Fund and the riders were wholly supportive when we asked them to make the gesture.
"We'll then auction off the race-jackets - we've already sold one complete set of seven before the season starts - and then present cheques to the respective causes.
"We were at Bluebell Wood's Christmas Party last December and we hope that the money raised will make it even bigger and better this year.
"The Ben Fund is also very important and this is our way of putting something back into the sport."
Speedway Riders Benevolent Fund Chairperson Paul Ackroyd said: “It is a wonderful gesture that has never happened before. We are very pleased that the team and management are going to back the Ben Fund in this way. We are just thrilled that the riders have agreed to enter into supporting the charity that has delivered assistance to so many people in need over the years and continues to do so.”
