By CHARLIE DUMAVI
PAPUA New Guinea Hunters’ assistant coach Paul Aiton is glad to be working alongside Caboolture Snake Junior Rugby League Club (CSJRLC) in Australia to inspire future rugby league players in PNG.
Through his connection with Caboolture, so far he distributed rugby boots and jerseys to children in Port Moresby’s Gerehu suburb and Wapenamanda district.
“Caboolture Snake is a very big junior cub,” Aiton said.
“I reached out to the president and he donated a lot of boots and jerseys.
“I went to Tete (a settlement in Gerehu) and gave away the boots and a set of jersey.
“Recently, they (Caboolture Snake) donated another 500 pairs of boots and 200 jerseys from another gentlemen.
“They just reach out to me, I get them and give them away.”
He said there are people out there who are willing to help in that way and for him to go out in the communities and give the items to the children and seeing their reactions makes him happy.
“I hope they become future Kumuls or Orchids players, representing PNG,” Aiton said.
He said with the help of PNG Hunters, he distributed sporting kits to a village in Wapenamanda, Enga province.
He is looking at working with Caboolture to do more donation going forward.
Aiton said the friends and family of Caboolture, who does the collection of the footy gear, love seeing pictures of local kids looking happy in the gear they sent over and are eager for more donations in the future.
Caboolture also posted pictures of children from Wapenamanda in the rugby league gear they sent on their official Facebook stating: “We will be doing again soon as we know there are families that missed out.”
They said they believe rugby league can be made part of a person’s life and making such donations is just an act of expanding the culture of football in the community.
Caboolture is working with family friends and individuals including other junior rugby league clubs in the likes of Stanley River Rugby League Football Club to continue the donations especially to children.
