DESPITE raising more than $7000 for headspace Central West last year, CSU Rugby Club wants more ahead of the annual Old Boys-Charity Day at University Oval tomorrow.
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The students take on Bathurst Bulldogs in the final round grudge match, and CSU president Hugh Medway is hoping a number of factors will help donations hit the five-figure mark.
“We have an initial goal of $10,000,” he said.
“We’re hoping the combination of the derby crowd, the club’s alumni and special, one-off charity jerseys will help us get to that mark. If we get there it’d be a stupendous effort.”
The club formed its partnership with headspace Central West, which focuses on youth mental health, last year after the death of team-mate Nathan Sharpe.
“We established the relationship under tragic circumstances, but this is a positive to come of the situation,” Medway said.
“Sharpey was a great member of our club, but more importantly a great mate. It really hit home and made us all realise how great, and important, headspace’s work is.
“Along with raising money, we’ll be awarding the Nathan Sharpe medal at our post-match event. The award will go to a colt who embodies what it means to be a Mitchell man, on and off the field.
“Luke’s (Costello, CSU head coach) wife Lucy also works with the charity, and they’ve been incredibly proactive in getting the partnership off the ground.”
The students will wear a lime green, headspace themed kit tomorrow and Medway hopes the rarity of the jerseys will help to raise donations.
“The jerseys are to raise money and awareness obviously, but also for something different,” he said.
“Normally our Old Boys jerseys are replicas of yesteryear or a retro design, but in the traditional Mitchell colours. Of course, lime green is headspace’s predominant colour, so we ran with that for our kit.
“We figure you’ll rarely get the chance to get a bright green Mitchell jersey, so it’s a novelty for the guys who wear them in the game, too.”
The one-off jerseys will be auctioned at the club’s Bumblebee Ball tomorrow evening.
“The jerseys are our main fundraising avenue,” Medway said.
“But we’ll be doing plenty of other things throughout the day and night.”
While headspace is the main benefactor from the event, CSU will also donate the proceeds of the highest selling jersey to a small school in Fiji.
“Luke visited the school on his honeymoon, and suggested we help out,” Medway said.
The fundraising day begins with the Colts game, kicking off at 11.45am at University Oval tomorrow.
Readers in need of support can contact suicide prevention hotline Lifeline on 13 11 14.