Sporting superstars and families on school holidays converged on Melbourne’s Federation Square yesterday for the launch of the Macca’s on Your Team program, with a giant synthetic oval constructed for kids to practice their goal kicking, bowling skills and free-throw basketball shooting.
AFL superstars Dane Swan, Jordan Lewis and Daisy Pearce joined Victorian cricketers Peter Handcomb and Emma Inglis, along with Australian Olympic basketball hopefuls Chris Goulding and Tess Madgen to launch McDonald’s new grassroots sport equipment program that is providing essential sporting equipment to community basketball, cricket and AFL clubs in Victoria.
The program will see 115 youth and senior AFL community clubs receive an equipment pack containing Sherrin footballs and a coaches’ board. Many of these packs will be provided to clubs that have fielded new female teams this year to support the growth of female football in the State and celebrate the introduction of the National Women’s Football League.
Over 1,000 Masuri cricket helmets with stemguard protection will be provided to junior cricket clubs throughout the State. McDonald’s aim to ensure young cricketers have access to a safety helmet at their community club. Should a junior cricketer forget their helmet, be unable to afford a helmet or damage their helmet during the course of the match or training practice, the Macca’s on Your Team cricket helmet will be available to be utilised.
In addition to this, more than 2,000 basketballs are being provided to Basketball Victoria’s new Aboriginal and African engagement program titled ‘Build Community Basketball’, and a further 2,000 are being provided to basketball associations and clubs that deliver the Victorian Aussie Hoops sporting schools program. Furthermore, 1,500 Molten basketballs are being provided to schools taking part in the Skill, Fun & Play program.
Clubs and schools have been nominated in consultation with AFL community leagues, Cricket Victoria and Basketball Victoria, Equipment will be distributed throughout Victoria from August this year.
