August 2018 REPORT DRAGONS COMMUNITY Matthew Dufty: Ken Stephens Medal Nominee The St George Illawarra Dragons very much value the importance of community. It holds the highest importance in what we are. Through Dragons Community, the Dragons work closely with many community organisations across our region achieving our aim of having a positive impact on the lives of people. Matt Dufty, St George Illawarra Dragons Fullback, is not only an excitement machine on the field, but also a much loved and enthusiastic player away from his NRL commitments. Matt in his short time as a NRL player, has continued to inspire many up and coming young Junior League players bringing extreme joy and happiness to many of the students he has meet. Prior to Matt earning a full time contract with the NRL squad, he was employed as a Dragons Community trainee where he worked day to day with Dragons Community in a number of programs. These included our popular early childhood program Dusty and Friends, Primary School PSSS Sport, school gala days and support in facilitating coaching clinics. During 2018, now as an NRL player, Matt continues to throw his weight behind many Dragons Community programs, always done with a smile on his face. Involvement includes: - Attendance at local junior league matches - School assemblies and engagements - Key community events e.g. Australia Day Aquathon - Hospital Visits Matt has also been a keen advocate of the work the Emergency Services provide and was on hand to acknowledge great work they do in the lead up to our Round 9 Emergency Services Cup as well as earlier in the year attending The Emergency Services Twenty/20 Mega Bash in Peakhurst, which helps to raise funds for the Sydney Children Hospital. Matt is passionate about informing kids about having a healthy lifestyle and tips on how to achieve this. He therefore appears in the 2018 Dragons School Diary The Best You Can Be which provides students with tips and guidance across being active, eating a healthy breakfast and anger management. Dragons Community have the diary being used in 43 primary schools which we visit 2-3 times a year to add value to the Best You Can Be concept and to link with the school values program. Matt s 2018 Club Engagements 2018 Emergency Services 20 Twenty Mega Bash for Sydney Children s Hospital 2018 Wollongong Australia Day Aquathon Advocate Best of Both Worlds Wellbeing Assembly Visits (Illawarra) St George District School Wellbeing Assembly Visits Come and Try NRL Event St George Mudgee District School Wellbeing Assembly Visit Come and Try NRL Event, Mudgee Dragons Active Holiday Clinic Blakehurst St George Hospital Children s Ward visit Emergency Services Cup Launch Jubilee Oval Dragons Active Holiday Clinic, Hurstville
Friends of Parliament NSW and Friends of Parliament Canberra Organised and coordinated by the NRL, the Dragons joined the Roosters at NSW Parliament House to launch the NRL Women s Premiership. The Dragons were represented by women s players, Samantha Bremner and Talesha Quinn, Dragons forward Paul Vaughan and Dragons Community advisor Paul Everill. Three weeks later our federal politicians made the same invitation. Women s premiership player Kate Haren joined Dragons staff members Jo Banning and Paul Everill with Broncos and Roosters representatives and met Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition leader Bill Shorten. High Tea @ the Footy Dragons very much value the contribution our seniors make and have made to the community. As has been the case in previous years a High Tea @ The Footy function was organised at WIN Stadium on the Dragons final training run before they played the New Zealand Warriors on the following day. Invitees included IRT, Warrigal Care, Hillside at Figtree, Illawarra Aboriginal Corporation elders group, Illawarra Diggers and special guests, with the event taking place in the Western Grandstand function area. During the event The NRL side trained on WIN Stadium and guests were encouraged to move to the grandstand seating to watch. Kezie Apps and Shaun Timmins were on hand to chat about the training session and answer questions on all things that makes an NRL footy club tick. The Dragons value the contribution our seniors make and have made to the community, and look forward to continuing the success of what is always a special day. Dragons Community Receive Special Recognition Community staff, Adam Bezzina and Paul Everill, recently attended The Disability Trust Sport and Recreation Awards night, to present the 2018 SCORE Dragons Player of the Year. During the award presentation, the St George Illawarra Dragons received special recognition for their ongoing support and were inducted into the Disability Trust Hall of Fame. A fantastic honour we are very proud of. The St George Illawarra Dragons Community Program 'Score Dragons' were once again amongst the action on Illawarra and Group 7 Grand Final day at WIN Stadium. This year the SCORE Dragons took on Helensburgh Tigers U14s. What s On in Community - August Dragon s staff, players, ambassadors and NRLD Development have had a very busy August with the Best You Can Be program, Dusty and Friends and NRL Sporting Schools programs in full swing. See 123 engagements listed below. Most recently, Dragons Community visited the Far South Coast to deliver five Best You Can Be Diary schools: Eden PS, Bega Valley PS (Kezie Apps Primary School), Tathra PS, Batemans Bay PS and Mogo PS. In addition to our regular programs, players and ambassadors supported local community events: Greenacres Picnic Day, Narwee Public School Oz Harvest Program, Paint the Town READ and Education Week Events.
August Date Event Location 1 NRL Sporting Schools Our Lady of Lourdes PS 2 NRL School 2 To Work Dapto HS 2 NRL School To Work Holy Spirit College, Bellambi 2 NRL Sporting Schools Arkana College 2 NRL Tackle Safe Program Kogarah Cougars 3 ADF Captains Run Clinic WIN Stadium, Wollongong 3 Georges River PSSA Sport HV Evatt Park, Lugarno 3 Botany Bay PSSA Sport Carss Park, Blakehurst 3 NRL Sporting Schools Ulladulla Public School 4 SCORE Dragons Sid Parrish Park, Figtree 4 St George Bank Community Challenge WIN Stadium Wollongong 6 NRL School 2 Work Albion Park HS 6 NRL School 2 Work Oak Flats HS 6 NSW PSSA vs Under 13s Illawarra Collies Complex, Figtree 6 Girls Tackle Safe Clinic Dapto HS 7 NRL School 2 Work Warilla HS 7 Best You Can Be Koonawarra PS 7 Education Week Visit Cringilla PS 7 NSW PSSA Visit WIN Stadium, Wollongong 8 NRL Sporting Schools Our Lady of Lourdes PS 8 NRL School To Work Ulladulla HS 8 NRL School To Work Vincentia HS 8 Girls Tackle Safe Clinic Bomaderry HS 9 NRL Sporting Schools Arkana College 9 NRL School To Work Illawarra Sport HS 9 NRL League in Harmony Kingsgrove North HS 9 Girls Tackle Safe Clinic Vincentia HS 9 NRL Tackle Safe Program Kogarah Cougars
10 NRL Sporting Schools Ulladulla Public School 10 NRL Sporting Schools St Georges Basin PS 10 NRL School To Work Shoalhaven HS 10 NRL School To Work Nowra HS 10 Best You Can Be Warrawong PS 10 NRL Sporting Schools Danebank Anglican School 10 Georges River PSSA Sport HV Evatt Park, Lugarno 10 Botany Bay PSSA Sport Carss Park, Blakehurst 10 NRL Sporting Schools Lugarno PS 10 NRL Sporting Schools Penshurst West PS 11 SCORE Dragons Berkeley Park, Berkeley 13 Best You Can Be Gerringong PS 13 NRL League in Harmony Kingsgrove North HS 13 Girls Tackle Safe Clinic Dapto HS 13 Eastern Region Catholic Diocese NRL Touch Carss Park, Blakehurst 14 Best You Can Be Barrack Heights PS 14 Best You Can Be Warilla North PS 14 Best You Can Be Tullimbar PS 15 Best You Can Be Woonona PS 15 Best You Can Be Waniora PS 15 NRL School To Work Lake Illawarra HS 15 FEAST Program Narwee PS 15 Friends of Parliament/WNRL Launch NSW Parliament House 15 NRL Sporting Schools Brighton Le Sands PS 15 Girls Tackle Safe Clinic Shoalhaven HS 16 Cougar Cup Ziems Park, Corrimal 16 Paint The Town READ Warrawong Plaza 16 Buckley & Classic Shield Final Sid Parrish Park, Figtree 16 NRL Sporting Schools Arkana College 16 NRL Sporting Schools Hayes Park PS 17 NRL Sporting Schools Keiraville PS 17 NRL Sporting Schools Lugarno PS 17 South Wollongong PSSA Dragon Tag Noel Mulligan Oval, Port Kembla 17 Girls Tackle Safe Clinic Gerringong PS 17 NRL Sporting Schools Danebank Anglican School 17 Georges River PSSA Sport HV Evatt Park, Lugarno 17 Botany Bay PSSA Sport Carss Park, Blakehurst 17 NRL Sporting Schools Ulladulla Public School 17 Yumaro Disability Activities Mollymook Oval 18 Mod League Grand Finals Dapto Showground 18 Mod League Grand Finals Ron Costello Oval, Shellharbour 18 League Tag Grand Finals Ulladulla Sporting Complex, Ulladulla 19 Group 16 Senior Grand Final Bega Sporting Complex, Bega 20 NRL Sporting Schools St Gabriel s Primary School 20 Best You Can Be Eden PS 20 Best You Can Be Tathra PS 20 Best You Can Be Bega Valley PS 20 Girls Tackle Safe Program Dapto 20 NRL Touch Flinders PS v Shell Cove PS
21 NRL Sporting Schools St Raphael s Primary School 21 Best You Can Be Mogo PS 21 Best You Can Be Batemans Bay PS 21 Girls Tackle Safe Clinic Albion Park Rail PS 21 NRL Sporting Schools Corrimal East PS 21 NRL Touch Ulladulla PS 22 Training Session Regina Coeli PS 22 NRL Sporting Schools Lakelands PS 22 Girls Tackle Safe Clinic Shoalhaven HS 22 Greencare s Disability Services Picnic Day North Wollongong 22 Girls Tackle Safe Clinic Shoalhaven HS 23 Best You Can Be Hayes Park PS 23 Wollongong Children s Ward Park Week Wollongong Hospital 23 NRL League in Harmony Program Kingsgrove North HS 23 Buckley Shield Semi Final Kiama HS 24 NRL Sporting Schools Keiraville PS 24 NRL Sporting Schools Danebank Anglican School 24 Georges River PSSA Sport HV Evatt Park, Lugarno 24 Botany Bay PSSA Sport Carss Park, Blakehurst 24 South Wollongong PSSA Dragon Tag Noel Mulligan Oval, Port Kembla 24 Best You Can Be Otford PS 24 NRL Sporting Schools Ulladulla Public School 24 NRL Sporting Schools St Georges Basin PS 25 St George Junior League Finals Jubilee Oval & Cahill Park 26 St George Bank Community Challenge Jubilee Oval, Kogarah 26 Under 14s League Tag Berkeley v Kogarah Jubilee Oval, Kogarah 27 NRL League in Harmony Program Kingsgrove North HS 27 Girls Tackle Safe Clinic Minnamurra PS 28 NRL Sporting Schools St Raphael s Primary School 28 Dusty and Friends Nowra East PS 29 NRL Touch Flinders PS 29 Girls Tackle Safe Clinic Shoalhaven HS 29 Training Session Regina Coeli PS 30 Girls Tackle Safe Clinic Vincentia HS 30 Best You Can Be Hayes Park PS 30 NRL Sporting Schools Arkana College 30 Girls Tackle Safe Clinic Kiama PS 30 Girls Tackle Safe Clinic St Columbkilles PS 31 NRL Sporting Schools Keiraville PS 31 NRL Sporting Schools Danebank Anglican School 31 Georges River PSSA Sport HV Evatt Park, Lugarno 31 Botany Bay PSSA Sport Carss Park, Blakehurst 31 NRL Sporting Schools Ulladulla Public School 31 NRL Sporting Schools St Georges Basin PS Adam Bezzina Community and Development Manager