On Saturday the 7th of April, the Kempsey Dragons Junior Ruby League Club (sponsored by Jax Wax Australia), kicked off the season playing host to more than 1200 Junior Rugby League players from Kempsey to Coffs Harbour from under 6’s to under 16’s and including girls league tag.
(Photo Courtesy of The Macleay Argus)
As part of an ongoing program Jax Wax Australia are working with local sporting and educational groups to help support the future of young Indigenous kids and teenagers.
Michele Hetherington, National Trainer for Jax Wax was honoured to attend such a special day. She helped the hard-working Kempsey Dragons volunteers by assisting in the canteen and met and chatted with the dedicated committee members and coaches. The highlight of the day for Michele she said was, “a very interesting discussion with one of under 7’s team about what we do at Jax Wax Australia and their ideas for future products including a play wax.”
Located halfway between Sydney and the Queensland border, Kempsey, part of the Macleay Valley, is a place of natural beauty and the traditional home of the Dunghutti people. Alfred Drew (Alfie) is a proud Dunghutti man, Aboriginal Languages teacher, artist and local football coach. He will work with Michele in developing a program to raise participation levels in sport and education with an aim to provide pathways to better life choices for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (ATSI) children within the Kempsey Community.
Michele plans on visiting Kempsey once a month to learn more about the needs of the community and Dunghutti culture. Many Rivers Family Violence & Legal Service of Kempsey will work in collaboration with Jax Wax for NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) Week celebrations from the 8th to the 15th of July 2018 as well as a program for young ATSI women.
(National Trainer, Michele Hetherington with under 16’s Kempsey Dragons Girls League Team)
There are many issues leading to young ATSI youth becoming disenfranchised within the Kempsey region, Jax Wax Australia will endeavour to support the youth of the area achieve greatness whist raising awareness of cultural diversity.
Jax Wax would like to thank Reuben Jones, President of the Kempsey Dragons Junior Rugby League Club, and Alfred Drew for their hospitality while Michele was visiting Kempsey. Michele would also like to personally thank Voula Dimis from Southern Embroidery and Karen Sassine of the Newton Junior Jets Rugby League Club for their kind donations towards this cause.
Jax Wax are looking forward to working towards offering ongoing community support to the Kempsey Dragons Junior Rugby League.