Australian Olympic legend Cathy Freeman visited Arnhem Land yesterday to deliver 750 of the 4,777 pairs of football boots collected as part of the Boots for Kids initiative.
Cathy handed-out the footy boots, along with 750 pairs of socks and 300 AFL footballs and netballs to the children at the Gunbalanya school in Arnhem Land.
Thousands of boots were donated via 189 Coles supermarkets across Victoria at the end of the footy season by parents and kids.
The boots were then collected and cleaned and will be delivered, along with 4,777 pairs of socks and more than 1,100 AFL footballs and netballs, by Linfox trucks to Indigenous children in the red centre, Wadeye in the Northern Territory and Bayulu in Western Australia.
Cathy said it was heartwarming that so many Australians donated their pre-loved, as well as brand new footy boots to children in remote Indigenous communities.
“Participation in sport can be hindered by access to everyday sporting equipment in remote Indigenous communities such as Gunbalanya and Wadeye. It’s great that companies like Coles can support these initiatives,” she said.
“Coles is delighted by the generosity of our customers who got behind Boots for Kids. We’re thrilled so many boots will be delivered to Indigenous communities in remote Australia where many children have limited access to sporting equipment," said Managing Director of Coles, Ian McLeod.
“Coles is a huge supporter of grassroots sports and inspiring young Australians to lead active lifestyles so it’s been a fantastic opportunity for us to get behind such a worthwhile initiative,” he said.
Boots for Kids launched in July this year and is a collaboration between Coles, The Age newspaper and Linfox. Cleaning of the boots was done by Sunnyfield and Vatmi, not-for-profit organisations that provide employment for people with disabilities.
__small.png)
