06 June 2012
Under 13s Muswellbrook Junior Rams steal the show at local community event
Pictured: Power FM Presenters Alex Mitchell and Brad Wood, Coal & Allied Manager Community Relations NSW Jennifer Bowcock and Under 13s Muswellbrook Junior Rams Division One Captain Bryce Beverstock at the game on the weekend.
More than 200 local rugby league supporters cheered on as the Under 13s Muswellbrook Junior Rams Division One team stole the show on Saturday, having coverage of their home game streamed live on commercial radio across the Upper Hunter.
The team won the live broadcast and $1000 in prize money in the Coal & Allied and 98.1 Power FM 'Get Your Game On!' competition, aimed at promoting junior sports in the Upper Hunter.
Under 13s Muswellbrook Junior Rams Division One Captain Bryce Beverstock said that winning the competition was a great opportunity to showcase the team's skills and talent to the wider community.
"Having our game broadcasted live felt like we were professionals," Bryce said.
"The fun activities that Coal & Allied organised also provided a great atmosphere for us as we played in front of our home crowd."
Under 13s Muswellbrook Junior Rams Division One Coach Phillip Beverstock said that the team was very excited to win the competition and really enjoyed having Power FM broadcast live from their game.
"Coal & Allied and Power FM put on a great show not only for the players but the whole community," Mr Beverstock said.
"It's incredible to think that thousands of people throughout the Upper Hunter could tune into the radio station and listen to interviews and coverage of our game - it gave the team, the club, and the sport great exposure."
"Even though the boys didn't win on the day, they played really well and had a great time enjoying the activities and entertainment at the celebratory community event.
"They felt like superstars, racing up to get on the radio after the game, and I'm sure they will remember this day for years to come."
While the team didn't defeat their opponents on match day, the event had all the celebrations of a win with Coal & Allied hosting free entertainment and activities at Coal & Allied Olympic Park as part of the prize.
Families applauded as they watched the Extreme Performance Art Cheer squad's routine, grooved along to the Fly Hip Hop Dance Group, got their faces painted, tested their energy levels on the Coal & Allied Energy Bike and enjoyed a fundraising barbeque with proceeds going to the team.
Coal & Allied Community Relations Manager NSW Jennifer Bowcock said that Coal & Allied is proud to partner with Power FM to support healthy communities in the Upper Hunter.
"We were pleased to provide this opportunity for young people in the region and had a great day cheering on the Under 13s Muswellbrook Junior Rams Division One team," Ms Bowcock said.
"This is the first time we have been involved in this type of competition, which provided local teams with the chance to raise money as well as increase and enhance their profile in the community.
"We were able to celebrate with the team and community by hosting a range of activities and entertainment, which provided a great experience and atmosphere for everyone who came along.
"This initiative is all part of our approach to supporting skills development and health and wellbeing initiatives in the Upper Hunter to build stronger and sustainable communities."
The inaugural Coal & Allied and 98.1 Power Fm 'Get your game on!' competition was open to registered junior teams in Singleton, Muswellbrook and the Upper Hunter shires and involved teams going online to describe their greatest moment and why they deserved '15 minutes of fame'.
About Coal & Allied
Coal & Allied has been part of the Hunter Valley community for more than 165 years and today manages three open cut coal mines. We aim to achieve shared value with members of the communities in which we operate. Our operations create not only economic value - but value for society by addressing communities' needs and challenges.
In 2011 our operations employed more than 2500 employees and 1000 contractors, and spent more than $1.7 billion with more than 1300 businesses across NSW. To date our community development funds have invested more than $11 million into 100 NSW community projects and partnerships, of which $3.6 million was directed towards education initiatives, to build stronger, smarter and more sustainable communities around our operations.
ENDS
Website: www.coalandallied.com.au/media
Email: naomi.jamieson@riotinto.com
Media Enquiries: Naomi Jamieson (07) 3625 4159 / 0457 824 672