Community Spirit
Friday 8 February 2013 5:10 PM
The Parramatta Eels busy Community Carnival on the NSW South Coast continued overnight with a Sportsman’s Dinner at the Nowra Golf Club. Over 300 people were in attendance for a fun night of trivia, interviews and laughs.
Over $3,500 was raised for junior rugby league clubs in the Nowra area.
“We sold out in the first week, the radio station and junior clubs were still getting calls,” ARL Development officer Matt Schubert said.
“It’s exceeded our expectations.”
The Eels squad saw over 4500 children during the Community Carnival, visiting over 20 schools across 3 days. While the club was only committed to sending 6 players, Coach Ricky Stuart insisted that the whole squad make the trip south and engage with local fans. The impact of such a visit not lost on Schubert.
“We haven’t had the whole squad down here in the Shoalhaven region for a number of years, the area has been in need of this kind of visit – it’s been a massive boost for the area.”
The trip just as rewarding for the Eels who understand the importance of connecting with the game at a grass roots level.
“It is so important that we invest time and resources into junior footy. For these kids to meet our players and get an understanding of what makes a first grade footballer is"