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Brothers Leagues Club Cairns
99 - 105 Anderson Street
Manunda QLD 4870
P: +617 4053 1053
Brothers Community Sports Development Program
60 $1000 Sports Equipment Grants!
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS
The development of sport in Cairns is getting a turbo-boost today as Brothers Leagues Club announce the sixty successful applicants sharing in $60,000 worth of sports equipment. The Brothers Community Sports Development program will disburse $1000 Grants to over 30 sporting clubs, 20 schools and a variety of pro-active community groups promoting healthy lifestyles.
Brothers General Manager Mono Gomez said the response was phenomenal, with hundreds of worthy applicants making the judging process long and difficult. "We were inundated with such a large range of groups in need of support. It was encouraging to see just how many people are out there participating in sport, volunteering their own time, and all this in the face of the current financial climate."
The vast array of sporting clubs set to receive new equipment stretch from Thursday Island to Ravenshoe, Mossman to Innisfail and covering the entire span of suburban Cairns.
Mr Gomez said the judges were careful to ensure a balance between small struggling clubs and larger progressive clubs when considering the distributions of the grants. "Brothers Leagues Club has been driving the development of sports locally for a very long time, but we decided to introduce this program to make that support accessible to people who otherwise might not have realised that Brothers is here to help." He says that an objective of the program is not just to offer a leg-up to clubs doing it tough, but also to encourage those that are out there working hard and passionately involved in promoting the sport that they love.
Of the many impressive school applications, some standouts included Our Lady Help of Christians school who also runs community days to teach physical activity and nutrition in Mooroobool and Cairns State High School who is providing a range of exciting sports programs geared towards achieving "excellence". Woree High will also benefit from the grants, due to their commitment in ensuring seniors in TAFE studies don't miss out on playing in inter-school competitions.
Offering assistance to community groups who recognise the benefits of sport was another highlight of the program. The "Take Pride Program" and Street Level Youth Care are examples of such groups, using sport to help address issues such as drugs and violence.
Since first opening its doors in 1974, Brothers Leagues Club has been a powerful force in fundraising, not just for Rugby League but for all sporting endeavours in the locality, and Mr Gomez says the Brothers Community Sports Development Program will be back in 2010. He stressed Brothers Leagues Club's disappointment in having to turn away such a large number of needy groups and is strongly encouraging all unsuccessful applicants to apply again next year. "It was just so close" he says.
