Monday, 13 February 2012 1:49pm

Basketball achieves many goals

A SAPOL community event incorporating the  SA Police Basketball Club versus a Sudanese youth team was the curtain raiser yesterday to the Adelaide 36ers game against Townsville. The community event, co-ordinated by Eastern Adelaide Crime Prevention Section, included various SAPOL information stalls, interactive displays and showcased historic police vehicles lovingly maintained by the Police Historical Society.

The Sudanese Youth team proved too strong for the police by 40 points to 31, but  according to the Event Co-ordinator, Sergeant Greg Barton, everyone is a winner.

Action on the court at the 36ers curtain raiser on Sunday.

"Events such as these give us all an opportunity to interact in a fun, social way and build bridges between police and  the community.  Sport is a fantastic facilitator to engage with the Community."

MVP went to the  6'10" tall  Sudanese representative Majork, who is also  making his presence felt as a South Australia's State  representative basketballer.

At quarter time of the 36ers game, Cops For Kids (CFK) took the opportunity to mark a fundraising milestone of reaching $250,000, with the presentation of a cheque for $10,000 to Tania Maher, of the Hudson Maher Foundation.

Perfect Match: $10,000 from Cops for Kids for the Hudson Maher Foundation at the 36ers game

 

Cops for Kids, founded by Detective Brevet Sergeant Drew Bynoe in 2007, is a group of over 1,100 police officers and SAPOL staff who together contribute around $10,000 every six weeks to help South Australian children.

"Cops for Kids is a simple way for SAPOL members to support sick, disabled and disadvantaged children," says Detective B/Sgt Bynoe.

Tania and Brett Maher established the Hudson Maher Foundation when their three-month-old son, Hudson,  was diagnosed with a rare bone marrow disease.

"This is a wonderful donation," Tanya Maher commented at the presentation, "I can't thank Cops for Kids enough." 

The Adelaide 36ers support the Hudson Maher Foundation as Brett is a former Olympian basket-baller and Captain of the 36ers.

 For more information on the Foundation: www.hudsonmaher.com.au