Chances are, if you were a Raiders fan in 2015, you would have seen the Raiders and Defence Housing Australia (DHA) co-branded beanies at GIO Stadium. The popular Beanies available for a gold coin donation, helped raise $20,000 for Soldier On.
Soldier On is an independent charity that supports the physically and psychologically wounded men and women of our defence force.
2015 was a particularly important year for the defence community in Australia, as it marked the 100 year commemoration of the Gallipoli Landing. Raiders CEO Don Furner was proud of the effort members and fans made in supporting Soldier On.
“The Raiders place particular importance on supporting community causes, with Soldier On directly benefitting Australians who have helped serve our country,” Furner said. “It was a great effort by our fans in supporting Soldier On. We couldn’t have achieved this wonderful donation without DHA, who created these beanies which are one of the most popular items for our members and fans.”
DHA’s Acting Managing Director, Jan Mason, highlighted that 100% of the funds donated by Canberra Raiders fans were provided to Soldier On, a cause that is close to DHA’s heart.
“Our core objective is to provide safe homes for Defence members and their families,” Ms Mason said. “We’re proud of the work that we do and how it positively impacts on Defence life. But we know there is more than can be done, particularly for members who return from deployment with operational injuries. That’s why supporting Soldier On through this campaign was so important to DHA.”
John Bale, CEO and Co-founder of Soldier On spoke on the importance of the campaign.
“The donations made as part of this campaign, and the vital awareness generated, are absolutely invaluable to the work we do. Not only will Soldier On be able to assist more veterans as a result, we hope that more ex-serving men and women will know they can come to Soldier On if they ever need assistance. It’s support like this, from great corporate supporters like the Canberra Raiders and DHA, that keeps Soldier On alive and supporting hundreds of men and women affected by their service.” Bale said.
The Raiders and DHA also organised to send merchandise to some Australian soldiers deployed in Iraq, including the DHA Beanies and Raiders 2015 ANZAC jerseys. This was a small token of thanks for the services our defence community provide in keeping Australia safe.
