THE Mount Gambier Longriders Christian Motorcycle Club has generously donated $1000 to the Limestone All Ability’s Soccer team.
All Ability’s soccer coach Keith Seiler and his team of players will compete in Melbourne at the Casey Cup next month and had sought financial assistance through donation of 10c recyclables.
However, the motorcycle club went above and beyond, using the funds from an open night to raise a four-figure sum.
Seiler was blown away by the generosity of the Longriders when presented with the funds at their clubrooms on Wednesday night.
“I do not think thank you is enough,” he said.
“My initial contact was just asking for a donation of their recyclables.
“We would have been very pleased with whatever the outcome would have been from that.
“But these guys came up with a better solution and a better idea of mingling within the community, which we love doing as well.”
About $600 was raised over the bar at the open night, while the club chipped in with extra funds to bring the total to a neat $1000.
“We worked out we had an open night on so we raised a bit of money over the bar and with a few raffles,” Mount Gambier Longriders president Terry Lynagh said.
“Then the social club and Longriders Christian Motorcycle Club donated $200 each and that made it up to $1000.”
Lynagh said the club was pleased to help out the team and relieve some of the financial strain from its upcoming trip to Melbourne.
“We are a Christian motorcycle club and we just like doing community stuff,” he said.
“If we can help somebody who needs a hand, we will try to help them out – you get a big buzz out of it.”
The result of the fundraising is a new-found relationship between the All Ability’s soccer team and the Longriders.
However, it will be put to the test in a few weeks, with a friendly soccer match to be played between the two organisations at Malseed Park.
“At the open night Ted (Terry Lynagh) decided he would challenge us to a soccer game,” Seiler said.
“Of course, being a coach, I jump at any opportunity to get our guys on the pitch.
“On March 14 we are going to have a game between the Longriders and the Special Olympics Limestone Coast soccer guys.
“It is only going to be a fun game, but very competitive.”
The game will also act as preparation for the Casey Cup, which will be held from March 26-29.
“The game is a fortnight before we go away,” Seiler said.
“The Casey Cup is through Aussie School – it is an organisation that looks after junior soccer players, but on the side they have an AWD section, which is for athletes with disabilities.
“It gives our guys an opportunity to experience a competition of that magnitude.”
The Casey Cup is a national competition and will see about 52 teams compete across a range of age groups, while there are five senior AWD teams.
With limited opportunities for soccer players with disabilities to play actual games, the fun match with the Longriders, along with the Casey Cup, provide valuable time on the pitch for the athletes.
“We have been a local soccer team here in the Mount Gambier area for the last four years,” Seiler said.
“We train each week not knowing when the next game will be, so having friendly games and going away to competitions is the only thing we have to support ourselves.
“The Special Olympics have state games once a year and national games every second year, so there is a long time between actual games.
“When opportunities come along like this it is very welcome and very appreciated.”
