Hubba Hubba: $49K Box Of Cherries Crowns Perth’s Potato Prince The 2022 Cherry King

All hail the king!

With a winning joint bid of $49,000 for a 5kg box of cherries grown by Sweet Cherry Valley, Spudshed CEO and Perth’s Potato Prince Frankie Galati has been officially crowned Cherry King for 2022.

The ceremonial title was awarded at this morning’s 30th annual Charity Cherry Auction at Canning Vale’s Perth Markets.

This year’s auction saw 21kg of cherries donated by growers across the South West, and a total fundraising record of a whopping $140,000.

All proceeds from the event go to the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation, with this year’s funds particularly benefiting the Rare Care Centre.

“The Rare Care Centre at Perth Children’s Hospital improves awareness and early identification of children with potential rare diseases,” Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation CEO Carrick Robinson said.

“Thanks to the generosity of our state’s fruit and veggie industry, the Cherry Auction has now raised more than $1.7 million for WA’s sick kids over the past three decades, which is absolutely incredible.”

The winning bid was a joint effort between the Galati Group and Fred Fairthorne of Fernbrook Fresh, and marks the fourth time Frankie Galati has been crowned Cherry King.

“The Cherry Auction has been going strong for 30 years now, and it’s once again been amazing to see everyone from the market community come together and dig deep to support WA kids,” Frankie’s father Tony Galati said. The Galati family have donated more than $290,000 to Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation since 2009.

In 2019, the winning bid set the record with a three-way joint bid placed by John Ale of Tony Ale & Co, Tony Galati and Fred Fairthorne for an impressive $110,000.

Keen to make a donation yourself? Head to the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation website.