The Canberra Raiders celebrated the NRL’s Indigenous round last weekend, with the announcement of a new partnership with Deadly Choices to help promote Indigenous Health.
Canberra Raiders CEO Don Furner joined CEO of the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Adrian Carson, Winnunga Nimmityjah CEO Julie Tongs, ARLC Chairman Peter Beattie and Deadly Choices Ambassador Steve Renouf to help launch the program in Canberra.
Deadly Choices is a health promotion initiative of the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH), which aims to close the health and life expectancy gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians within a generation.
Deadly Choices empowers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to make healthy choices for themselves and their families – to stop smoking, to eat good food and exercise daily. Deadly Choices also encourages our people to access their local Community Controlled Health Service and complete an annual ‘Health Check’.
Mr Carson said the program was designed to ensure members of the Indigenous community were accessing local health services.
“By encouraging our people to access their local health service and complete a Health Check every 9-12 months - normalising the idea of seeing a doctor not just when sick, but to remain healthy, access support, and prevent, or better manage chronic disease,” Mr Carson said. “Deadly Choices is all about gaining real outcomes across the whole spectrum of the community; from infants, adolescents and our elders. Everyone is positively affected.”
For those people who participate in the Deadly Choices Program and complete their 715 Health Check, they will receive a free Raiders Deadly Choices Shirt.
Raiders CEO Don Furner said the program was one the raiders were proud to be associated with and said he hoped to see many of the local Indigneous community taking part.
“This program is a wonderful way the Raiders can help our local Indigenous community to ensure they are doing everything they can for their health and wellbeing,” Mr Furner said. “11% of local rugby league players have been identified as being either Indigenous or Torres Strait islander, so we know the impact rugby league can have on these communities.
“I hope to see lots and lots of Raiders Deadly choices shirts at our matches and in the Canberra, community moving forward.”
For more information on Deadly Choices visit www.deadlychoices.com.au
