Illawarra Football Association clubs raise $4000 for cancer Call to Arms

IFA president Eddy De Gabriele presented a cheque to Cancer Council community relations coordinator Michael Cannon at the Bampton Cup awards ceremony on Sunday evening.
?It was great to see the Illawarra Football Association get on board along with other sporting associations to promote this initiative,? Mr. Cannon said. ?Altogether the fundraising effort has been greater than we could have asked for.?
The Call to Arms asked for national and local sporting bodies throughout Australia to help reach a target of $500,000 this year.
Mr. De Gabriele said the IFA was proud to support the initiative.
?The association and clubs have demonstrated in their past their commitment to social and community responsibility and they did so again in support of the Call to Arms fundraising,? said Mr. De Gabriele. ?We want to thank all our clubs, players and fans for digging deep in the fight against cancer.?
IFA manager David Naylor congratulated Dapto, Bulli and Cringila for being the leading fundraisers on behalf of the IFA.
Clubs were asked to raise funds at matches played on the weekend of July 17-19. Players wore yellow armbands to raise awareness of men?s cancer, a disease that affects one in two Australian men by age 85.
Thousands of sports teams across Australia supported this initiative, which started in 2006 and has grown strongly since.
?The IFA Board and all of our member clubs understand the terrible impact of these debilitating diseases and illness have on all families, all individuals and all of our loved ones,? said Mr. De Gabriele.
?Of course, this is not just restricted to specific elements of our football community; it is anyone, anywhere and anytime. But I am proud that our sponsors, supporters, clubs and all their fans got behind this very important fundraising effort in the same way the IFA football family did for the Disability Trust Football Camps Day, the Red Cross Bushfire appeal earlier this year and our annual Grand Final Breast Cancer Foundation Appeal.?
The Cancer Council reports that compared to women, Australian men are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer, and less likely to survive their diagnosis.