A burst of bingo will be the last piece of passive activity for three Just Better Care Roller Hawks with their cards completely full, three months out from the 2024 Paralympic Games.
The Just Better Care Roller Hawks and Illawarra Hawks are teaming up for a fundraiser to help the Luke Pople, Tristan Knowles and Shawn Russell on their way to Paris, helping to overcome the costs that comes with being a non-professional but full time athlete.
Making it to the Paralympics requires dedication, countless training sessions outside of hours and extended time off work. To help make those sacrifices a little easier, an outrageous night of entertainment and fun is planned.
The bingo night at the Steelers Club on Friday May 10, will be hosted by iconic Illawarra drag queens Roxee Horror and Ellawarra.
“Very excited for bingo, I’ve heard they can get a bit wild and crude so it will be good fun and a good laugh,” says Luke Pople.
The night will include games, raffle and lucky door prizes and plenty of entertainment from the hosts.
Pople, a long time member of the Roller Hawks, combines his basketball passion with his work at the Illawarra Hawks as a graphic designer and content manager.
“I’m lucky in that my work is very supportive of my basketball, especially with going away for extended periods of time and allowing me to work while I’m away.”
Paris will be Pople’s first Paralympics.
“It will be a massive honour to be able to pull on the Australian jersey at my first Paralympics, especially being there with guys that have been a part of my journey from the start, being Sticky, T and Huss.”
Bingo then makes way for a full schedule of basketball for the trio, starting in June with a week-long trip to North Carolina with the Rollers for warm up games against the USA.
“We had a tournament there about 10 years ago. It was cool, it was my first time in the States, we played in a high school gym like you’d see on ESPN.”
The boys will fly back just time for the start of the National Wheelchair Basketball League season on June 15. A break in the schedule on the first weekend of July will see the Rollers fly to Melbourne for Ballin’ 24, a basketball festival featuring the Rollers, Gliders, Boomers, Opals and Gangurrus (3x3).
“In July we have some games at John Cain Arena against Team Japan that will double up as our last selection camp so they will be some great opportunities to play some more games before we head over to Paris.”
“All I know is that we will all be there together playing at John Cain, so hopefully we will all be able to get together and cheer each other on. I think it’s the first time in a long time that all the Australian teams have been in one location so to be able to be in that environment with all those great athletes, able bodied and wheelchair will be a great experience.”
From there the NWBL resumes, culminating in Finals at Shellharbour City Stadium on August 10th and 11th ahead of the Paralympics which begin on August 28th.
Pople is encouraging Roller Hawks and basketball fans alike to show their support starting with Rolling Bingo on May 10.
“Having the support from everyone that is attending will be great. Knowing we have not just financial support but actually having genuine support from the community, our friends and family will go a long way to helping us be successful.”
To secure your tickets and help support our Roller Hawks players off to Paris CLICK THE LINK (This is an 18+ Event Only)