The tribute game also aims to raise people’s awareness of the Foundation that honours Bill Hutchison’s name, not only as an AFL and Club legend, but as a man looked up to by the community as a fair and good man. His character is encapsulated in the words of former Hawthorn coach Jack Hale who once said of Bill Hutchison, “I don’t think I ever met a better rover or better man on or off the field”.
The Bill Hutchison Foundation honours Bill ‘Hutchy’ Hutchison through its work to prevent harm to children and women in our community.
Last year alone, the Foundation put 1,200 kids through the ‘On the Ball’ program, which helps Year 8 students learn about making the right choices in life.
The program is manned by Essendon players, all trained to work with the kids, and is not only in demandlocally but is being looked at by institutions in Europe as a model of how the power ofsport can be harnessed to make a real difference to children’s lives.
The Bill Hutchison Foundation also supports programs in the area of violence against women, notably the safe house run by Mercy Care, a ministry of the Sisters of Mercy. The house provides crisis accommodation for women and their children who are victims of family violence.
Foundation Board Member Dr June Kane, who for 11 years has been the European Commission’s Expert on Violence against Children and Women, says, “Having somewhere safe to go is vital for women facing violence at home. It not only takes them away from the immediate danger, it gives them the time and space they need to work out how they can stay safe in the future.”
In 2008, the Bill Hutchison Foundation has plans to develop On the Ball further and take it to more children in our community. Working with the Essendon Football Club, the Foundation will develop new programs for indigenous children and in the field of family violence. To do this, it needs to raise funds.
If you are going to the Essendon/Hawthorn clash on 7 June, look for the donation form in your Footy Record or volunteers rattling cans around the ground, and do your bit for children and women in our community.
You can also donate on-line at www.bhf.org.au or send a cheque (payable to The Bill Hutchison Foundation) to P.O.Box 151, Essendon, VIC 3040. All donations over $2 are tax-deductible and receipts will be issued.
