SPORTS CLUB REACHES OUT TO COMMUNITY
Fiji Airways Flying Fijians halfback Frank Lomani handed out cheques to various charitable organisations from the funds raised by the Paradise Beverages Limited Sports, Social, Health & Wellbeing Club at Walu Bay, Suva on Friday. Paradise Beverages general manager Mick Spencer said the club was not run by the company but by their employees in the group. .
“We do a lot with sports as you know rugby for about 42 to 43 years as we were the ones that started the sevens tournament in this country. “We do support netball, the Drua and this year we will assist some minor sports and also try to get to disabled sports as well.”
Spencer said the funds of $11,000 were raised by the club from a charity ball.
“I’m proud of the employees for getting together and organising something like this to help the country.”
Club president Joe Rodan Snr said the cheques were supposed to be handed out by the Fiji Airways Fijian 7s players who had to pull out in the last minute to attend a training session at the Sigatoka sand dunes.
“For us here that’s important for them to go out there because we’re crazy on sevens. We are the world champs. We want them to go to Las Vegas to beat the Australians. New Zealand and everybody else,” Rodan Snr said. Instead, Lomani was brought in by the Fiji Rugby Union to hand out the cheques.
“The sports and social club is made-up of all the employees that contribute.”
A cheque of $2750 each along with giveaway packs were presented to representatives from the Fiji Cancer Society, Homes of Hope, Father Law Home and Medical Services Pacific.
Rodan Snr, who is a former Pacific Games 400 metres hurdle champion, said for this year the club is going to refurbish one of the wards at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva.