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Photo: Jack Cooke, Joel Stocks (Dunghutti/Palawan), Jordan Foster

 

This Saturday Byron Bay Rugby host their last home game of the season against Lismore City and their annual charity game. This years organisation is AIME – Mentoring, whose aim is to help 15,000 indigenous kids reach university by 2020. 5,000 university students have participated in the AIME program, making it the biggest volunteer movement of its kind in the country.

 

This year Byron Bays playing jersey represents the Indigenous culture with the art designed by an AIME participant telling the story of the whale migration here on the Northern Rivers. The limited edition jerseys will be available for purchase in an auction after the First Grade game, which starts at 15:15 at the Memorial Recreation Fields, Tennyson St. All proceeds will go towards AIME.
Enjoying his first season with Byron Bay, First Grade Fly Half Dunghutti/Palawan man Joel Stocks is excited for the big day.

“This jersey means a lot to me especially being involved with AIME during school. To have the chance to represent my culture, mob and family means the most to me. I can’t be more excited and proud for Saturday”

With everything going on, this will be a fantastic day for the community.  There will be entertainment and music from 13:00 on Saturday, BBQ, Not only that, but there will be two games of rugby, raffles and other fundraising activities. Both grades will be set to make the finals if they win this weekend. The club is also proud and privileged to have Arakwal Elder – Uncle Brian welcoming us to Country with a smoke ceremony.
“This weekend is something the club prides itself on every year. We are very much a community club and always strive to give back not only to this fantastic town, but to our Indigenous brothers and sisters.” said Andy Teuma, Vice President “This year we have chosen to help AIME which is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness and funds to this great cause. We encourage the whole community to come down and spend the day with us from 13:30.”
AIME Program Manager here in the Northern Rivers, Rich Atkin, will also be playing for the Reserve Grade Sandcrabs team.
“AIME is a highly effective, world class educational development program designed to increase career aspirations and improve educational outcomes for high school students. For 14 years in Australia, AIME has been proven to shift the mindsets of Indigenous young people from one of failure to one of success. Year after year, AIME has supported students from typically disadvantaged backgrounds to successfully transition through school and into a positive post-school pathway at the same rate as the rest of the population. By participating in the program, students develop a more positive sense of self, anchored by a positive sense of their Indigenous identity. Sessions undertaken by the students within the program are based around the broader concepts of identity, mentoring, leadership, resilience, empathy and goal setting.”
“AIME program days expose mentees to world class educational facilities from age 12 through to 18, teaching them that their identity is key and reason for success as opposed to an excuse for failure. By being in those spaces at university campuses, mentees begin to understand that they are welcome within that environment. This helps to shortcut the path to university if/ when they choose to
take it.”
For more information on the day, or to contribute, contact Andy Teuma 0467712802
Byron Bay Memorial Recreation Fields
Tennyson St
Starts 13:30
Reserve Grade 13:50
First Grade 15:15
Auction