Community supports Basketball Foundation

EARLIER this month the inaugural Basketball Ballarat Foundation golf day raised more than four thousand dollars to support local players.

The competition saw 17 teams of four take part in the event at Midlands Golf Club with NBL1 players greeting teams and taking some drivers.

“It was the first time we’d ever run it, so it was the unknown I suppose of how it would go,” said Chris Thornton, partnerships and marketing manager at Basketball Ballarat.

“We would have been happy to come out with a dollar raised since it was out first event, so it was about providing an opportunity for our partners and the broader community to touch base with our association and NBL athletes.

“It was a great day and the format of it was perfect.”

Money raised from the day will go towards supporting local athletes and their families in affording the costs associated with basketball.

“The Ballarat Basketball Foundation basically helps families who are struggling financially and now more than ever we are finding people in that boat,” said Mr Thorton.

“Basketball is a costly sport and it’s there to support our community and our athletes on joining our domestic or representative programs.”

Mr Thornton thanked the community for their support of the initiative which will now be an annual event.

“We had about $2,500 in raffle donations and that was overwhelming,” he said.

“That heavily contributed to that final figure of just over $4,000 which will go directly back into the foundation.”