14/11/02
Visits by high profile Western Australian sports stars will lift the spirits of one of the State's drought-stricken rural communities.
Sport and Recreation Minister Alan Carpenter said today that Sports Mates would visit Lake Grace, one of the areas worst affected by drought in the Wheatbelt, next Wednesday, November 20.
"The Department of Sport and Recreation has gathered together basketball celebrity Andrew Vlahov, hockey star Clover Maitland, cricket legend Wayne Clark and former Perth Glory striker Alistair Edwards as Sports Mates," Mr Carpenter said.
"They will visit Lake Grace District High School to conduct coaching clinics with students and tour the town to talk with locals and discuss the effects of the drought."
The Sports Mates tour will culminate in a community function at the Lake Grace Sportsman's Club to spend time with community members and share stories from their sporting careers.
"The Sports Mates might not be able to make it rain, but for a few hours at least they can help lift the spirits of a community that is doing it tough," the Minister said.
The State Government recently allocated $20,000 to the Sports Mates program, which is expected to cover the cost of up to six trips to regional areas throughout WA.
The next Sports Mates trip is planned for Morawa in early December, with planning under way for more trips in 2003.
Mr Carpenter said the love of sport in regional areas was a powerful agent that promoted civic pride and forged a shared identity.
"Sport is all about team work, persevering and beating the odds and this is precisely the message these stars will take with them," he said.
Further information:
For the Lake Grace visit, contact the Shire of Lake Grace on 9865 1105.
Profiles of the Sports Mates athletes are listed below.
Minister's office: 9213 6800
Andrew Vlahov
Andrew has been one of the key driving forces behind the Perth Wildcats for years. A long-time player, he bought a stake in the team with life-long friend Luc Longley in 1999.
A four-time Olympian, Andrew retired at the end of 2001-2002 season, to focus on running the Perth Wildcats.
Andrew knows a lot about digging deep and working with team-mates to turn things around.
Clover Maitland
Clover is one of Australia's most decorated hockey players with more than 100 international caps and two Olympic Gold medals in her career as goalkeeper for the Hockeyroos.
She currently works as a sponsorship co-ordinator for the National Heart Foundation, a position that has made her aware of the needs of regional people.
Wayne Clark
Wayne is a former WA and Australian test pace bowler and a successful coach of the Western Warriors and is the current coach of English county team Yorkshire.
He played 10 test matches for Australia and 62 matches for WA, taking 210 wickets.
Wayne enjoys sharing his love of cricket, which includes passing on his knowledge to young players. He also has many stories to tell from his cricket career.
Alistair Edwards
The veteran striker from the Perth Glory Soccer Club has a wealth of experience having played professionally in Europe, South East Asia and Australia.
Apart from being a brilliant soccer player, Alistair also has a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Edith Cowan University.
He is currently working with the Department of Sport and Recreation as a sports consultant.
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