Fighting to stay in the game

IF THERE’S one thing the Townsville community is good at, it’s rallying around a good cause.

Members of the business community are never shy about putting their hands in their pockets to support local organisations and North Queenslanders are renowned for their spirit of mateship.

Keeping sporting clubs afloat is always a struggle.

The North Queensland Cowboys have been through tough times; the Townsville Fire move mountains every season to continue and could still do with more support, and North Queensland Football has also encountered more than its fair share of turbulence.

Of course, we all know how sad it is when these sporting organisations don’t make it — just ask anyone with fond memories of basketball team the Townsville Crocodiles.

There are some great causes in our community that need support and wonderful people willing to help out.

While we’re not talking about a life or death type scenario, the role sporting organisations play is significant.

They’re the fibre of the community. They are the clubs that bring people together, allow young people to dream big, create healthy habits or learn moneycan’t-buy skills, and for the select few, they lead to truly great futures in sport.

Townsville netball team the Northern Rays needs $80,0000 to $100,000 to allow the club to stay in the State League Sapphire Series beyond this weekend.

North Queenslanders are rallying to help them, but the club still needs some additional support. It’s not just about having a club in that league, it’s about ensuring that our girls have a pathway in netball without being forced to relocate to the south of the state.

If we want to keep young families in Townsville, we need to make sure our kids are given the same opportunities as kids in the south. This is one such way of doing that. Times are tough, but if you can help support the Rays in any way, you could make a big difference to a lot of people.