Sponsors honoured
The many and varied business partners and sponsors of Drouin Football Club and Hawks Netball Club were honoured and thanked at a luncheon at the club during a recent home game.
The clubs offer a range of support categories with the football club again delighted to have the Drouin Family Hotel and Drouin and District Community Bendigo Bank as its major sponsors.
President Chris Soumilas said while fielding competitive teams in Gippsland's major league was the main focus the club continued to offer a great asset for the community to come together.
It's great to see people from youngsters being pushed in prams to the "older generations" joining in the club's family atmosphere, he said.
Thursday nights during the season are "full house" in the social club with football and netball players joining sponsors and supporters after training for meals served by a great band of volunteers and for the announcement of the following weekend's teams.
Volunteers are an integral part of virtually everything the clubs do.
As many as 80 people contribute freely at home matches to ensure games go on.
They fill many essential roles on game days and not just at home games - from trainers, team officials and managers, canteen workers, club field, boundary and goal umpires for some matches, and many other tasks getting facilities ready for play.
The many volunteers also carry a big and vital role for the clubs that rely heavily on fund-raising throughout the year to met the several hundreds of thousands of dollars required to put teams on the football ground and netball court for six months of the year.