Setting records, fundraising and having fun are all on the agenda for Valentine Football Club’s MiniRoos gala day on August 28.
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The club set the goal last year to be an organisation that benefits the community and have dedicated their annual gala day to raising funds for two important local charities.
“Last year we made the commitment that we wanted to be an organisation that gives back to the community,” Valentine FC representative Michelle Poole said.
Last year the club raised nearly $12,000 for pancreatic cancer.
This year they plan to up the ante, setting themselves fundraising targets of $15,000 each for Reaching for Thalia and the Josh Caruso Foundation.
Thalia Standley lost her arm in an animal attack last year and medical cost and treatment are ongoing. It will cost her family $15000 per year to fit Thalia with a prosthetic arm.
Thalia signed up to play with Valentine FC this season and is part of the club’s first all-girls MiniRoos side.
“Obviously being in the Valentine area, Thalia’s accident touched a lot of our hearts,” Ms Poole said.
“Thalia joined the soccer club this year and is playing in the club’s first all girls’ community team.
“We have a lot of girls at the club but the majority so far have chosen to play in mixed teams.”
The gala day will also feature the addition of an all-girls MiniRoos division.
The Joshua Caruso Foundation honours a young local boy who lost his life of an undiagnosed heart condition.
The Foundation aims to help save lives by raising money and awareness to combat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). HCM is the most common cause of heart-related sudden death in young people, yet little is known about the condition.
Joshua played for Valentine-Eleebana junior rugby league club, which shares a sporting complex with Valentine FC.
“A lot of families in our club knew him,” Ms Poole said.
“The Joshua Caruso Foundation’s goal is to fund $100,000 to go towards providing defibrillators to sporting clubs and schools in the Newcastle and Hunter area.
“Our club received one last month from the Josh Caruso Foundation; it’s hopefully something we never have to use.”
During the gala day, Valentine FC will also attempt a Guinness world record for the most amount of people dribbling a ball for five minutes. The record stands at 2063.
The gala day is open to all registered MiniRoos players, 6-12 years. Cost is $15 per player, which includes a special memorabilia ball.Register through tinyurl.com/vefcgala2016
