The Illawarra Hawks will be out for revenge when they take on the Wollongong Roller Hawks at the KidsWish Charity Match at the Snakepit Stadium in Wollongong on Sunday.
But after being on the receiving end of a lopsided scoreline in the inaugural event last year, Hawks forward Daniel Grida doesn’t expect they will be able to turn the tables on their friendly rivals this time around.
Tickets are selling fast and it would be great to see another sell-out crowd packing out the Snakepit after more than 500 fans flocked to last year’s Charity Match.
The Roller Hawks finished runners-up in the National Wheelchair Basketball League on the weekend after going down 67-64 in the grand final to Darwin Salties at Shellharbour City Stadium.
For the Hawks players, they get a whole new perspective on how difficult it is to play wheelchair basketball when they take on the Roller Hawks.
“It was like the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Daniel said when asked about last year’s charity match.
“We got absolutely cooked. I don’t know how they do it, to be honest. They put in a lot of hard work to be as good as they are.
“Shooting from the sports chair while trying to manoeuvre the thing as you go up the court, it’s a lot to handle all at once.
“Moving and not really knowing where I’m going, I have to turn with the ball. Passing, defending, it’s all hard because you’re rolling all the time.
“There were multiple crashes last year. I fell over a couple of times. It’s ruthless and physical but a super spectator sport, very exciting. If you like watching basketball, come out and see for yourself – it’s high intensity and great to watch.”
Roller Hawks player Luke Pople will unfortunately not be lining up for Sunday’s match but he has a good excuse.
Luke and Roller Hawks teammate Tristan Knowles fly out on Friday to prepare to represent the Australian Rollers at the Paralympics, which will start later this month in Paris.
The KidsWish Charity Match holds a special place in Luke’s heart because the charity played a major role in getting his career started more than two decades ago when he first got into the sport.
“They were able to help me purchase my first basketball chair, one that was fully customised and fitted to me, not just a grab one out of the back shed type,” he said.
“That helped me be able to train to my full potential.
“Having one custom made was something that all the other players had. Once I got that I was able to go up levels and play for the Roller Hawks. For my career progression, KidsWish helped me out a lot.”
Luke, who is now 33, made his Roller Hawks debut at the tender age of 13, and has gone on to represent Australia in two World Championships and a Commonwealth Games and after just missing out on the squad for the past two Paralympic campaigns, he made the cut this time around.
“To get the nod for this one is very exciting,” he said.
“The coaches brought the players individually into a room and gave them a yay or nay and fortunately I got the hand put out to me to say that I made it, that was definitely a very cool moment hearing that.
“Our mentality is that we’re going there to win gold. We haven’t been on the podium for a few years now. We want to be the best wheelchair basketball team in the world and that’s what we’re going there to do.”
All funds raised from Sunday’s Charity March will go towards KidsWish’s mission to fulfill the lives of children living with disability or illness and their families through supportive programs, special events, and community projects.
The action gets underway at 10am with fun basketball activities for kids under the expert guidance of Hawks legend Kevin White and Roller Hawks players, where kids will get the chance to have a spin in a wheelchair to test their skills.
Three wheelchair basketball exhibition matches will feature with the first match seeing the Hawks players take on the Roller Hawks players at their own game. The next two matches will see the teams mix and match players to even out the talent.
KidsWish’s own KidsRock band and KidsGroove dance group will be part of the game-day entertainment, along with the KidsWish Sports Academy and The Disability Trust’s Jammers participants taking to the court to showcase their skills.
This fun-filled day will conclude with a chance to get up close and personal with the players from both teams, with players signing autographs and posing for photos with the fans!
VIP tickets are available for the first time this year and include an elevated seat in one of the corporate boxes, a delicious burger and chips from His Boy Elroy plus a drink, a pair of commemorative basketball socks featuring the Hawks, Roller Hawks and KidsWish logos, and priority access for the autograph signing session with the players after the game.
The socks featuring the KidsWish, Hawks and Roller Hawks logos will be available for sale at the match.
To help raise funds for KidsWish, there will be a raffle drawn at the event with some fantastic prizes up for grabs!
Prizes include:
You don’t have to be at the event to win, so buy your tickets now for your chance to win!
We’d love to hear how yourself or someone you know has been impacted by KidsWish.
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More than 150 volunteers will help KidsWish celebrate the festive season at their annual Christmas Party at Symbio Wildlife Park next Thursday. Around 3000 people will converge on the famous
The KidsWish Science Spectacular returned for its third year, on Thursday 26 September, offering children living with disability or illness and their families exclusive access to the incredible Science Space
KidsWish acknowledges the traditional custodians of the Country on which we provide services. We recognise the strength and intergenerational resilience of Elders and honour the culture and knowledge of community leader’s past, present and emerging.
KidsWish acknowledges the traditional custodians of the Country on which we provide services. We recognise the strength and intergenerational resilience of Elders and honour the culture and knowledge of community leader’s past, present and emerging.
KidsWish operates in partnership with The Disability Trust.
© KidsWish Limited is a registered charity with the ACNC. Website by Biz Sites.
Tell us how KidsWish has touched your life. This is an opportunity to share your KidsWish experience. These questions are provided as a guide to help us to understand the full picture of your story and how KidsWish has impacted you and your family.
There is no need to provide a response to every question.
1. Why/how did you become involved with KidsWish? 2. What do you get out of your involvement with KidsWish? 3. Why is KidsWish important to you? 4. How does KidsWish help you/your family? 5. Who is in your family? 6. What challenges do you face? 7. Your child/children’s diagnosis?
