NRL players making a difference

Vodafone Warriors players have joined others from the NRL’s other 15 clubs in spreading Christmas cheer throughout New Zealand and Australia.

While the Vodafone Warriors have been involved in a number of activities including the annual Kidz First Christmas Party at SKYCITY, other clubs’ Yuletide events have ranged from a children’s party at Sea World, to serving meals for Youth Off the Streets and cooking dinner for Ronald McDonald House visitors, to ‘Secret Santa’ voucher giveaways and paying bills for unsuspecting shoppers.

Apart from the SKYCITY party for more than 200 day-care patients, the Vodafone Warriors have also played Secret Santa. In addition, there was a club-wide afternoon Christmas party for all players, staff, their families and a lot of other people associated with the club last Friday. Santa didn't disappoint the kids when he turned up laden with gifts.

Last Thursday the Vodafone Warriors held their annual Christmas function for their sponsors at Bellota at SKYCITY (a chance to farewell departing Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe) with owner Owen Glenn there along with club management, head coach Matt Elliott and other football staff plus frontline players Simon Mannering, Feleti Mateo, Todd Lowrie, Shaun Johnson, Thomas Leuluai and Elijah Taylor. On the same night, management and the same group of players attended a Christmas function for corporate members at SKYCITY.

Yesterday (Wednesday) four players joined Vodafone winners for a special Christmas lunch at The Grill at SKYCITY.

Elsewhere some of the NRL’s biggest names have performed ‘random acts of kindness’ to help celebrate the festive season with people of all ages at shopping centres, cafes, service stations, hospitals and a variety of other locations in regional and local communities from Bathurst, Cootamundra and Casino in NSW, to Gympie and Townsville in Queensland and Manukau City in Auckland.

Retired Eels captain Nathan Hindmarsh kicked off the Christmas campaign in Bathurst, popping up in a Santa hat at local store aisles and check-outs offering vouchers or to pay for bills, lay-bys, groceries and other items, as well as visiting children in Bathurst Hospital.

“It was an amazing experience and one of the most rewarding and worthwhile initiatives I have been involved with,” Hindmarsh said.

“People were surprised and genuinely very appreciative and it felt great knowing these random acts would make a small difference to people’s lives.”

The joint One Community/ NRL clubs initiative also included the Storm’s ‘Secret Santa’ visit to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne; and an excursion to attractions at Darling Harbour with Panthers players for 32 students from the Panthers on the Prowl learning centre, dedicated to helping kids disengaged at school.

NRL clubs conducted a wide range of Christmas visits and events for special fans and charities, including:

• Catered lunch with Lifestart, Save Our Sons, and Children’s Cancer Institute of Australia, which featured face painters, Santa Mascot, and gift-giving (Roosters)

• Christmas lunch at Big Blast Play Centre at Brookvale for 25 children with Diabetes (Sea Eagles); players also attended Christmas parties at Royal Far West Manly, Stewart House at North Curl Curl and Bear Cottage at Manly

• Serving Christmas dinner to young people in Father Chris Riley’s Youth Off the Streets Centre (Wests Tigers)

• Christmas party with Youth Off the Streets, Bankstown (Bulldogs)

• Children’s ward at Canterbury Hospital and Bankstown Hospital, as well as Sydney Children’s Hospital – gift-giving (Bulldogs)

• Salvation Army, Campsie and Ronald McDonald House, Westmead – hamper donations (Bulldogs)

• Cooking dinner for families at Ronald McDonald House and visiting Canberra Hospital paediatrics wing (Raiders)

• Afternoon tea and hampers for those supported by St Vincent de Paul (Sharks)

• Wollongong Hospital visit and donation (Dragons)

• Christmas party for more than 200 children and their families at Redfern Community Centre (Rabbitohs)

• Christmas party for Kidz First Children’s Hospital long-term outpatient families (Warriors)

• Members’ Christmas party at Townsville RSL Stadium (Cowboys)

• Christmas party for a selected group of children and their families at Dolphin Cove, Sea World (Titans)

In addition, clubs also conducted ‘Secret Santa’ activity at a variety of locations, including:

The Children’s Hospital at Westmead – gift giving (Eels)
Townsville Hospital/ Foundation – gift giving, donations (Cowboys)
Mater Children’s Hospital, Brisbane – paying for parking for Hospital visitors (Broncos)

Shopping Centre visits – paying for bills, Santa photos, groceries and goods and voucher and hamper giveaways (Dragons, Bulldogs, Knights, Warriors, One Community Ambassadors)

Tropic Caltex, Townsville – paying for petrol and washing cars (Cowboys)
Townsville Community Learning Centre – donation for pool heating project (Cowboys)

Queensland Country Credit Union – bill paying and donations (Cowboys).
These activities have been brought together in the NRL’s Christmas card which can be viewed here:

CLICK HERE