The NSW Blues, Cricket NSW and Cricket Australia will this weekend throw their support behind the Salvos’ Bushfire Appeal and also the Springwood Cricket Club.
15 members of the club have lost everything in the Bushfires, including all their cricket kit and as a result have had to forfeit all of their matches this weekend, with little certainty of what the immediate future might hold.
As a response Cricket NSW is looking to raise money to help get the club, and others who’ve suffered loss in the fires, back on their feet.
The NSW Blues players will donate their match fees from the game to the appeal. Both Cricket NSW and Cricket Australia have agreed to match this amount which will total over $ 60,000.
In addition:
- Kookaburra will donate brand new cricket kits to members of the Springwood Cricket Club affected by the fires
- A NSW Blues shirt from Sunday’s Ryobi Cup Final will be signed by all players and offered as part of an online auction
- Attendees at Sunday’s match will be asked to make a gold coin donation to the appeal, with NSW Blues players walking around the ground on Sunday assisting with collection
- A raffle will be run on Sunday with a Nathan Lyon Ashes shirt signed by the full Australian team as the main prize
- North Sydney Oval will donate a percentage of the gate takings to the Appeal
Members of the Springwood team will be presented with their cricket kits during the Final at North Sydney Oval on Sunday. This will be televised during the Nine Network’s coverage of the match on GEM.
Pat Cummins, whose family are from the Blue Mountains and were close to the Bushfires, and Nathan Lyon will make the presentation on Sunday.
Cricket NSW Chief Executive Andrew Jones stressed the importance of cricket being able to assist in situations such as these: “Cricket is a game that brings people together. When we heard about the losses suffered in the fires – including by the Springwood Cricket Club – we thought it was the right thing to do to help out in any way we could. We urge people to give generously on Sunday and assist in helping out those affected by the fires, and we commend in particular our players for donating to this appeal. We urge all Sydneysiders to come to North Sydney Oval to enjoy some great cricket and help kickstart the recovery from the fires.”
In NSW, drink-driving kills more than 50 people and injures more than 1,000 every year. Make sure you have a safe Plan B option before you head out. Catch public transport, call a taxi or ring a friend to come and get you. There’s no excuse for drinking and driving.
