Sporty kids at the Centenary Little Athletics Centre will soon get to enjoy brand-new equipment, thanks to the support of the inaugural Banana A-Peel initiative launched early in the year.
The fundraiser, spearheaded for the Coles Little Athletics Community Fund, directed 10 cents of every kilogram of Cavendish bananas sold in Coles supermarkets with the support of banana growers and customers.
Centenary Little Athletics Centre Manager Bobby-Rae Cole said that the cash boost from the initiative is a big help in its rebuilding and recovery efforts from the recent floods in Brisbane.
“Over the past four years our club has undertaken an equipment renewal and expansion process, starting with an equipment shed upgrade in 2019, followed by the purchase of much-needed equipment and upgrades to our facilities and grounds,” Ms Cole said.
“Unfortunately, the location of our centre means we’re susceptible to flood damage. This occurred during the 2011 floods, which saw 90% of our equipment destroyed and more recently in February 2022, when our infrastructure was once again under water to the height of two metres.”
“This time, due to the efforts our volunteers and community, the equipment loss was minimized, but we still have some damaged equipment to replace. This funding from Coles will enable us to replace our Tiny Tots equipment to support kids aged 3 to 4 years old.”
Coles State General Manager Jerry Farrell said that over $250,000 in sports equipment grants were distributed to 73 Little Athletics centres across Australia in the latest round of grants from the Coles Little Athletics Community Fund.
“Coles has been a proud supporter of Little Athletics for over five years, and we’re delighted to provide nearly $50,000 in sports equipment grants to Queensland’s Little Athletics centres to help them gear up for this season,” Mr Farrell said.
“We’re particularly delighted to help centres that were affected by the floods earlier this year so that they can replace some of their equipment. We know very well the devastating impact these floods have had on local clubs and communities, and we hope these grants will help them to recover.”
In addition to the distribution of sports equipment grants, Coles will continue to support Little Athletics centres across Queensland with banana donations from local supermarkets throughout the season.