Communities across the region including about 1000 school children came together at Yamba’s Ngayundi Sports Complex last Thursday where they got to meet four South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL players as part of the 2023 Clarence Valley Close the Gap Day.
Mudyala Aboriginal Corporation CEO Aneika Kapeen said the 2023 Clarence Valley Close the Gap Day was about bringing all the schools together to really recognise what Close the Gap means.
“It’s not an Aboriginal person’s job to Close the Gap, it’s everyone’s responsibility and that’s why we have made it such and inclusive event,” she said.
“Black, white or brindle, we all come together to see what we can do to Close the Gap (between Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals).
“To help us share that message we have got a few of the NRL Rabbitohs football players here.”
Rabbitohs stars Blake Taaffe, Isaiah Tass, Lachlan Ilias and Shaq Mitchell had hundreds of people of all ages approach them for signatures, photos and to have a chat as they mixed with the crowds.
Ms Kapeen said school children were excited to have the Rabbitohs NRL stars to help spread the Close the Gap message and inspire them to follow their dreams.
“They have little conversations with the kids at the NRL tent we have got set up and sign a bit of the merchandise,” Ms Kapeen said.
“When kids have questions around their fitness regime or what they do, how hard they train or how many days a week, they answer all of those sorts of questions to really push the kids, so they know if you want to make it somewhere you have to start with yourself first.”
The Ngayundi Sports Complex was filled with tents from a wide variety of service providers, as music was played from a stage at the northern end of the field, while more than 1000 people of all ages enjoyed activities including Oz Tag, sand art and podcasting.
“We are really against pamphlet pushing, we don’t want the kids to just walk away with a brochure, something that’s not meaningful to them,” MS Kapeen said.
“Each service has been tasked with a job that when they come here and set up their tent that they have an engaging activity.
“We’ve got Nungera youth doing sand art with kids, Headspace has supplied a couple of weaving circle areas, Bulgarr is doing some jewellery and beading as well as helping Solid Mob do some Oztag with kids and the PCYC were doing their boxing and fitness with kids, One Mob Radio were doing some podcasting and teaching kids how to do podcasting, plus there’s ages suitable activities for everyone from pre-school through to year 12.”
Ms Kapeen said the Close the Gap committee which is made up of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal service providers and Clarence Valley Council planned Close the Gap Day 2023.
“We reached out to the schools, and we got all the schools, pretty much, in the Clarence Valley as well as extended out of the Clarence Valley there’s a couple of schools from Casino and Tabulam,” she said.
“We tell the schools to let the Aboriginal kids come along and bring a non-Aboriginal friend, so we are sharing the load (of spreading the Close the Gap message) we’re not leaving it all to ourselves.”
Rabbitohs star Blake Taaffe told the CV Independent it was great to get out of the city and spread the important message of Closing the Gap to people from the Clarence Valley and beyond.
Last Thursday night a fundraising dinner for the Close the Gap event was held at Maclean Bowling Club where attendees enjoyed a two-course dinner followed by talks by the Rabbitohs stars.
This article appeared in the Clarence Valley Independent, 14 June 2023.
