A round of golf with Vodafone Warriors legend Stacey Jones and record-holding halfback Shaun Johnson is among a range of experiences, auction items and prizes donated by players and football staff to support ‘The Great Vodafone Warriors Charity Day’ on Sunday week.
The players and staff banded together this week to voluntarily offer a mix of unique opportunities, memorabilia and other items in their bid to further boost the fundraising drive for the club’s four charity day beneficiaries Shine, KidsCan, Ronald McDonald House Charities and Paralympics New Zealand.
The charity day event is being held in conjunction with the Vodafone Warriors’ round 19 encounter with the Melbourne Storm at Mount Smart Stadium on July 22 (4.00pm kick-off).
“We got together as a group to think of ways we can help these fantastic causes,” said veteran Vodafone Warriors forward Adam Blair.
“The players and football staff are all split into teams for in-house activities so each of the teams came up with their own ideas about what they could do to help raise funds for the charities.
“As players we all spend a lot of time in the community and love doing what we can to help people so it means a lot to us to be able to support our charities on what is going to be a really special day.”
Vodafone Warriors captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and club stalwart Simon Mannering have already donated 2018 Heritage-Anzac jerseys which were put up for Trade Me auctions earlier this week. They’ve been attracting plenty of interest, too.
These donations have now been followed by the efforts from the squad and staff as a whole as they join sponsors who have also pledged their support in a variety of ways.
Some of the items will be auctioned off on Trade Me (see list below). These will appear on Trade Me during the weekend so keep an eye out for them.
There will also be auctions of other items for corporate members in the Club Lounge on game day on July 22 as well as a monster raffle (see list below) open to all members and fans who are at Mount Smart Stadium for the Vodafone Warriors-Melbourne game.
The charity day concept, a first for a New Zealand sporting event, was launched more than a week ago and with Vodafone Warriors CEO Cameron George pledging $50,000 to be split among the four charities if the game against the Storm is a sell-out. With the projected attendance tracking well more than a week before the game at 13,000 the Vodafone Warriors are so far up for $5000. This will climb to $10,000 for a 15,000 crowd, $25,000 for 20,000 and $50,000 for a sell-out.
The club's commitment has been followed by a series of other initiatives.
Sponsor Mitre 10 has joined the cause with $2500 for reaching a 10,000 crowd and will boost its contribution to $5000 for 15,000, $7500 for 20,000 and $10,000 for a sell-out.
Fans are also able to make donations with single or multiple contributions through Vodafone’s text-a-donation service. By texting WARRIORS to 4483 you donate $3.00 to the fundraising drive with each text.
Announced on Tuesday was a big prize draw for everyone who buys a ticket to the match before kick-off in the Vodafone Warriors’ 18th-round match against Brisbane this Sunday. SEE FULL DETAILS HERE.
Meanwhile, Vodafone Warriors corporate partners Rapid Property and DCS Builders Ltd have each donated $1000 ensuring more than $13,000 has been raised overall so far.
CHARITY DAY | PLAYERS AND STAFF DONATIONS
Trade Me auction items
- Signed Simon Mannering 2018 Heritage-Anzac Day jersey
- Signed Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 2018 Heritage-Anzac Day jersey
- Family game day extravaganza package
- Ruben Wiki work out
- Signed Adam Blair boot
- Ben Henry to mow your lawns
- Signed Simon Mannering 2010 Centenary Test Kiwi jersey
- "A Night with a Knight at The Grill" (donated by Sir Peter Leitch)
Corporate Lounge raffle
- Dinner for two at SKYCITY with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Agnatius Paasi
- Round of golf for two with Andrew McFadden and Blake Ayshford
- Rehab game day experience for two for the round 22 match against the Knights including training with the rehab group, watching the game with the rehab group in the players’ box with food and beverages provided
- Training day experience for two including water boy for a team field session, lunch with players and staff and watching a gym session
- Player Wardrobe Raid – selection of personal clothing supplied by selected players and staff
Corporate Lounge auctions
- Golf day for two with Stacey Jones and Shaun Johnson
- Simon Mannering signed and framed photo most-capped Vodafone Warrior player
- Signed Simon Mannering Kiwi 2013 Rugby League World Cup jersey
- Gucci watch
Monster raffle
- Air New Zealand flights and two nights’ accommodation including VIP experience for two to Vodafone Warriors v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in Sydney on August
- Framed 2013 Vodafone Warriors Heritage jersey donated by Sir Peter Leitch
- Signed Luke Brooks boot worn in Wests Tigers v Melbourne match in the SKYCITY Auckland NRL Double Header at Mount Smart Stadium in April
- TNT remote control truck
- Framed 2013 Vodafone Junior Warriors jersey donated by Sir Peter Leitch
- Signed Melbourne Storm jersey from SKYCITY Auckland NRL Double Header match against Wests Tigers at Mount Smart Stadium in April
- Signed and framed Adam Blair boot
- KidsCan 'The Starke' European technology bicycle
