Club Grants Awarded

RuffTRACK, an innovative organisation based at Riverstone that runs a program which aims to keep kids alive, out of prison and skilled up for a better future, was one of the recipients of a Club GRANTS last week.

Working closely with Hawkesbury Local Area Command, the program supports young people aged between 12 and 17 and teams them with a dog for the course where they learn about responsibility, caring for others and communication as they undergo training with their canine companion.

Andy Paschalidis from the charity Heartbeat of Football, another recipient, spoke about how he was driven to promote the link between healthy hearts and exercise. He lost a clubmate in 2014 who collapsed beside him and there was no defibrillator at the ground to provide an immediate response. He said the program run by Heartbeat of Football at sporting fixtures was only possible through Club Grants.

Representatives from 11 charitable organisations were special guests at Castle Hill RSL last week and were joined by Baulkham Hills Sports Club and The Hills Club.Together the three clubs donated more than $100,000 in community grants.

Castle Hill MP Mark Hodges was joined by Hills Shire Councillor Frank De Masi who congratulated the recipients on the programs they run ranging from support for young adults leaving the Foster Care system, cancer patient support, mentoring for teenage boys, charities working with children with autism, programs for drug and alcohol rehabilitation and groups providing services for children and adults living with a disability.

CHRG Director and Vice-President Mike Yeo said the clubs were very proud of the community support they had provided over the years.

Since 2015 the three clubs have contributed almost $1 million to community groups under the Club GRANTS program.

The Hills Club contributed over $16,000. The recipients are:
• Blacktown & Districts TPI Social & Welfare Club
• Cancer Patients Foundation
• The Top Blokes Foundation

Baulkham Hills Sports Club contributed $25,000. The recipients are:
• Odyssey House NSW
• The Hills Community AID & Information Service

Castle Hill RSL contributed over $64,000. The recipients are:
• Fit Kidz Foundation
• Foster Care Angels
• Heartbeat of Football
• Learning Links
• RuffTRACK Limited
• Solve-TAD
• The Hills Community AID & Information Service