FOR the second consecutive year the Mount Gambier Pioneers will use their penultimate home game of the South East Australian Basketball League season as a fundraising and awareness initiative for the crisis support and suicide prevention organisation Lifeline.
The Pioneers play host to the Albury Wodonga Bandits at the Icehouse for Round 16 tomorrow night and will don a yellow playing strip with the addition of the Lifeline logo.
To raise money for the local Lifeline branch in Mount Gambier, each player’s jersey will be auctioned off after the game.
However, one will be saved and signed by both the players and coaching staff to be auctioned off on Saturday night at the Mount Gambier Pioneers’ club fundraiser at Commodore on the Park.
The money raised from that product will also be donated to Lifeline on behalf of both the fraternity and naming right sponsors CASTEC Rural Supplies, with the company purchasing the uniforms for tomorrow night’s clash with the Bandits.
On Friday night volunteers will hand out Lifeline information cards to spread the word.
“We are just trying to be ambassadors for the organisation and letting people know there is nothing wrong with contacting Lifeline regardless on how important you may think it is, it could help,” board member, life member and key organiser of the Lifeline fundraiser Darryl Starick said.
“It’s all about helping others.”
Starick said he looked forward to both Friday and Saturday night, with the overall aim to raise money and awareness for a good cause.
“We want to promote Lifeline, we see it as a very good organisation who helps everyone,” he said.
“Friday night is all about awareness, it is a bonus that we can contribute the money raised to the local branch.
“If we can help one person through this, then we have made a significant contribution.”
Spreading the word does not stop this weekend, with the Pioneers’ American imports Daniel Alexander and John Jones scheduled to hand out information brochures at schools across the region in coming weeks.
Starick said events such as the Lifeline round were “a breeze” to organise due to the commitment of the Pioneers players, coaches, sponsors and community.
“Pioneers coach Richard Hill is passionate about things like this,” he said.
“He is very good at getting the message across to the team they are representing the region and are seen as role models in the community.
“So these events are very important to them.”
Saturday night’s club fundraiser at the Commodore on the Park is open to the community and begins at 6.30pm.
To order a ticket contact the Commodore on the Park.
Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit www.lifeline.org.au/gethelp For crisis or suicide prevention support.
