Knights good sport for fund-raising lunch

BILLY Brownless, Matthew Knights and Jess Gulli-Nance headline the roll call for next week’s Bis-Sport breakfast.

The annual function, which helps raise funds for local athletes to chase their sporting dreams, returns to Simonds Stadium next Wednesday.

The Barwon Sports Acad- emy developed the fundraising program Bis-Sport in partnership with the City of Greater Geelong.

Bis-Sport aims to promote and financially assist athletes from the region competing in recognised national and international events.

The seventh edition of the fund-raising breakfast will feature Geelong midfield coach and former Richmond cham- pion Knights as the guest speaker.

Former Cats player Brownless and track and field athlete Gulli-Nance will take the stage as joint MCs.

Since the launch of the breakfast in 2011, the Barwon Sports Academy has raised about $56,000 and the City of Greater Geelong has contributed $42,000.

An overall $78,510 has been granted to 306 athletes. Ninety-eight of those athletes competed overseas.

Thirty-five athletes have been supported within the last financial year, with a total of $9550 provided. Athletes aged from 12 to open age are eligible for the program.

Past recipients of the grant have included Kelly Cartwright (track and field), Jacinta Carroll (water skiing), Damien Birkinhead (track and field), Chantel Horvat (basketball), Thomas Alexander (sailing) and Phoebe Mitchell (swimming).

Barwon Sports Academy chief executive Cameron Loftus said the program was oneof-a-kind, with nothing similar Victoria-wide.

“It’s Geelong people raising money for Geelong athletes,” Loftus said.