Aboriginal Legends Travel to Wollongong for Reconciliation Week

The Wollongong Rollerhawks will host the Red Dust Heelers wheelchair basketball team as part of Australia’s National Wheelchair Basketball League (NWBL) series and the annual Woolkabunning Kiaka Cup. The Cup was first played in Bunbury, south-west Western Australia in 2014 in honour of the Stolen Generations and specifically the former Roelands Native Mission now represented by Woolkabunning Kiaka Inc.

This important Round is being played as part of Reconciliation Week.

The Red Dust Heelers are part of the Outback Academy’s program to raise awareness about disability in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia, and to build friendships and opportunity for Aboriginal and other Australians with disability. The Red Dust Heelers team is made up of Aboriginal and other Australians with disability, including Paralympians.

Patron Kevin Coombes was Australia’s first Aboriginal Paralympian. Ambassadors, and sporting legends include Evonne Goolagong-Cawley, Syd Jackson, Darryl Kickett. The Outback Academy Red Dust Heelers also works closely with the First Peoples Disability Network Australia (FPDN), the Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) and the founder of one of Australia’s most successful Aboriginal led healing programs Red Dust Healing.

Just on 50% of Aboriginal people experience disability, and often are unaware of the options they have for sports and recreation, education and employment. This weekend Syd Jackson former Carlton great and Darryl Kickett will fly to support the team and the awarding of the Woolkabunning Kiaka Cup to the successful team. Last year Wollongong took the Cup back home and both teams are looking forward to another tight contest.

Syd Jackson grew up on the former Roelands Mission, now Roelands Village, just outside of Bunbury. Woolkabunning Kiaka Inc is the organisation representing Stolen Generations people who lived at that Mission. Today the former Mission opens its doors to all for healing, friendship building and the encouragement of education and employment for all, including ‘at-risk’ youth and those with disability.

Syd and Darryl will be in Wollongong to support the Red Dust Heelers and the Wollongong Rollerhawks in their work together to raise the numbers of all young people with disability engaging in sports and recreation.

Wollongong Rollerhawks vs Red Dust Heelers – Woolkabunning Kiaka Cup

Shell Harbour City Stadium

5.30 pm Saturday May 30, 12.00 pm Sunday May 31

For further information contact:

Kathleen O’’Kelly-Kennedy - Mobile 0421 870 691

kathleen@outbackacademy.org.au

Pablo Jimenez , Mobile – 0403 297 249

Pablo.jimenez77@hotmail.com (Wollongong Rollerhawks)




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