JP remembered in tribute match
The tribute match held for Jean-Paul D’Amico at Western Park last Sunday saw more than 150 people turn out to enjoy an afternoon of cricket and fun filled games.
Before the first ball, the teams stood in solidarity for a minute’s silence to remember JP, with both the Warragul and Bairnsdale GCL sides also coming across to pay tribute before their match.
The match was played in true JP spirit, with each player able to bat and bowl in the contest, which saw plenty of runs, wickets and laughs amongst the players.
One organiser of the event, Ben Majcherzak said the day was a fantastic one that honoured JP.
“Everyone had a crack, and everyone got into the spirit of it, that’s what we wanted. A few sixes were hit, and the crowd was interacting too so that was great,” he said.
Matt Runnalls from Mindfull Aus spoke to the group during the day, while Wakefield cricket donated a cricket bat to JP’s son, William. Overall, the match saw $2,950 raised for the Mindfull Aus charity, which was the main message of the day.
“It’s about the mental health awareness. In the end, it didn’t matter who won, it was all about the day and playing in the spirit JP would,” Majcherzak said.
Organisers acknowledged all the volunteers who helped bring the day together, as well as the Western Park Cricket Club who had plenty of volunteers on hand throughout the day to help.
Organisers are now discussing how they could make the charity match an annual event.