Northern Power Cricket Club is gearing up for another successful Pink Stumps Day following their success in 2020.
Members have been hard at work preparing for their upcoming event, which gets underway at Toukley’s Harry Moore Oval, from 10am on February 7.
A grassroots initiative of the Jane McGrath Foundation, Pink Stumps Day sees cricket clubs, schools and businesses come together to turn the game pink, have fun and raise invaluable funding for the training and deployment of breast care nurses around Australia, and according to the Northern Power’s Social Secretary, Kelly Jolley, the club is on track to deliver another cracker event.
“Last year we raised just over $11,000, making our Pink Stumps Day the most successful one in the country and that was something we completely did not expect.
“Honestly, when we started planning the day, we just wanted to raise a couple thousand bucks, but we actually had to postpone due to wet weather and that’s when the support from the community and local businesses really took off and the whole thing just went gangbusters,” Jolley said.
Keen to replicate that success, Jolley said community support for this year’s event had been just as free flowing, with Northern Power now poised to deliver a family day out jampacked with entertainment, prizes and top-notch cricket.
“Our day will start with our juniors taking to the field before our women play in the afternoon, with raffles, auctions, yummy food and fun activities for the kids happening throughout,” Jolley said.
The club is also set to welcome a very special guest in McGrath Foundation Director, Tracy Bevan.
“Tracy was the best friend of Jane McGrath, and helped Jane set up the charity, and we are so excited to have her speak at our Day,” Jolley said.
The local business community has also turned up in force to back the event, with many taking advantage of a special advertising package that supports the fundraising and dozens more donating prizes for the raffles or player sponsorship.
Jolley said that support had filled members with confidence ahead of the big day.
“Through support from our business community we have already raised $3,500 and that figure does not include funds raised through player sponsorship or our raffle ticket sales, so at this stage we are confident that we’ll at least crack $10,000 again, but we would really love to beat last year’s result.”
With breast cancer having touched the lives of so many in the community, Jolley said Pink Stumps Day was a way the Coast’s northern community could come together to support survivors, honour those lost and champion change.
“From our Junior Sixers through to our Senior Ladies team, Northern Power has a very strong female player base.
“One of our players has also gone through a double mastectomy, so this Day is a huge thing to our club.
“Our friends at Toukley Gorokan Gunners Football Club also have a member currently going through breast cancer and they’ll be coming along on the day to cheer us on and take part in all the fun, and I think it just goes to show what an important issue breast cancer is here on the Coast,” Jolley said.
Jolley said the event also had its own COVID-safe plan, so all members of the community wanting to come along and watch could feel confident and safe in doing so.
Dilon Luke