The South East Australian Basketball League is pleased to announce that the round 19 championship fixtures between July 22 and July 25 will now be promoted as the Call to Arms theme round.
Call to Arms is a Cancer Council campaign that aims to raise awareness and funds to fight cancer in men. The campaign started when Essendon Football Club wore yellow armbands in a show of support for teammate Adam Ramanauskas who was undergoing intensive cancer treatment at that time.Adam made a remarkable recovery that culminated a return to elite level sport. Players of all sporting codes now wear yellow armbands for a Call To Arms match in July for the one in two men who will be diagnosed with cancer by age 85.
The concept has since grown, and SEABL was approached this year by Cancer Council, asking the League if there was some way in which it might be able to host or promote the Call to Arms campaign in anyway.
SEABL General Manager Mark Chivers said that earlier this year the League realised there was no competition-wide approach to supporting causes such as this. “We were aware that some clubs had supported local charities, or had supported causes like the National Breast Cancer Foundation for one of their home games, but we had never put in place a strategy to support and promote a charity on a League-wide basis.”
Mr Chivers went on to say that the theme round idea was a first for SEABL. “We were looking for an opportunity such as this, so it was a fortunate coincidence that Cancer Council came to us when they did. This is the first time we have embarked on a competition wide campaign, and we see it as a great opportunity to unite the League behind a good cause.”
After Cancer Council approached SEABL, clubs were asked by the League if they would endorse the concept. Unanimously the idea was approved, and clubs are now in the early stages of promoting the theme round.
Mr Chivers then suggested that while the League had been involved in the conception of the theme round, it was down to the clubs that were hosting fixtures on the day to implement any actual activities. “The clubs have been provided with information from Cancer Council on ideas about what they can do on the day to promote the event, and the League will also promote the round. But we are not demanding that all clubs do any mandatory activities. Rather the League will offer full support and encouragement where it can so that the clubs can to come up with something exciting.”
Cancer Council spokesperson, Ms Irene Manitta, was similarly pleased with how events had transpired. “SEABL have been very supportive and enthusiastic from the start about Call To Arms, which is fantastic. The objective of the campaign is to raise awareness and funds to help fight cancer in men. All donations will be channelled into life-saving research, prevention programs and support services for men facing cancer, and their family and friends.”
So what can spectators expect to see when they turn up to the Call to Arms theme round? Ms Manitta outlined some possibilities. “Clubs can do a whole variety of things. They could hold a kicking competition at half-time or during a time out. They could auction donated items or collect donations at their club or on match day. Players can wear yellow armbands as a show of support for men facing cancer, or warm-up shirts on the day. And courtside announcers can make reference to the cause during the game.”
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