The rugby league-loving youngsters in Papua New Guinea are about to become the first beneficiaries of the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys’ Boots for the Bush campaign in 2014.
Sixty-six pairs of boots donated to the Boots for the Bush collection bin at Sportscene Super Warehouse in Townsville will be delivered by Youth With A Mission (YWAM), which is about to head north with its medical ship based at the Port of Townsville.
Cowboys’ PNG Rugby League World Cup representative Ray Thompson was on hand to drop off the boots this morning, taking the number of pairs donated in the Boots for the Bush campaign to close to 1,000.
The campaign began in July last year and has included deliveries to many parts of Cape York Peninsula and western Queensland.
“It’s amazing how big the response for Boots for the Bush has been in less than 12 months,” Thompson said.
“The guys at Sportscene tell me they’ve got dozens and dozens of boots at their stores waiting to be taken out to remote communities in the next few weeks.
“It’s great to have that support and I know the kids in PNG are going to love it when the YWAM volunteers turn up with these boxes.
“They just love their footy up there but unfortunately they often miss out on boots either because of cost reasons or the lack of availability.”
Anyone who donates a pair of boots for the Boots for the Bush campaign receives a $20 discount voucher that can be used for their next purchase at Sportscene.
There are Boots for the Bush collection wheelie bins at the Sportscene Super Warehouse stores in Rockhampton and Townsville.
The PNG shipment will be distributed by a team of eight YWAM volunteers who will visit Port Moresby and coastal villages in Milne Bay after sailing north from Townsville next Tuesday.
“The team will conduct an eight-week sports-focused outreach, using sports as a bridge for holistic development in PNG communities,” Anna Scott, from Townsville YWAM, said.
“They’ll run rugby league clinics alongside seminars on topics such as goals and values and healthy lifestyles as well as basic primary health care education.”
To donate to Boots for the Bush, drop into the Townsville Sportscene Super Warehouse in Woolcock Street at Currajong or the Rockhampton store on Yaamba Road, North Rockhampton.
Main image: Sportscene's Brendon Day with Ray Thompson
