South Bunbury Football Club partners with sponsors and West Coast Eagles to launch Christmas appeal

One of the South West’s biggest sporting clubs is reaching out to help the community this Christmas, setting up an appeal of its own for the first time.

South Bunbury Football Club has teamed up with major sponsors Retravision and World Gym in Bunbury for the drive and is calling on people to donate.

Non-perishable food items, toiletries and gifts from the boxes will then be donated to the In-Town Centre and the Bunbury Soup Van ahead of the festive season.

South Bunbury general manager Andrew Roberts said it was important for the club to have a presence in the community and was pleased it could find a way to help.

“We want to get the club further out into the community and this time of year everyone forgets about football, so we want to keep a presence,” he said.

“We spoke to Retravision and World Gym about doing an appeal for the homeless because we know it is an issue in the community that people tend to shy away from.

“They were happy to have bins here and they are starting to fill up, which is really cool.

“Quite simply, we are just looking at non-perishable tins and cans.

“It is about a local club supporting the local community.”

Donating to the cause will also mean winning a signed West Coast Eagles jumper for one lucky person, with each donation earning a ticket in a draw for the prized piece of merchandise.

Donations close on Wednesday, with all items to be handed over on Thursday in time for Christmas.

Bunbury Senior High School’s Kingia Z-Club, an off-shoot of the city’s Zonta Club branch, is also doing its bit to help out.

To mark the end of the club’s first year, students packed shoe boxes full of Christmas gifts, toiletries and other items, which will be donated to the South West Women’s Refuge.

Club president Zoe Anderson-Hicks said Christmas was a difficult time of year for many and it was a good chance for the club to make a difference in the community.

“This project is to bring some Christmas joy to the women’s refuge,” she said.

“There are sanitary products and stuff but there are biscuits and all sorts of stuff in there too.

“It is great to be able to support people within our community at a time that might be hard for some people.”