If the shoe fits: Each of Rochester’s 44 underage footballers and netballers received $300 vouchers for Rochester Sportspower, which are being used mostly for boots and shoes, spending the $13,000 profits from the club’s annual Melbourne supporters’ luncheon.
Forty-four junior footballers and netballers started to file through the Gillies St doors of Sportspower on Friday after Rochester Football Netball Club gifted them each a voucher as a result of the annual Melbourne supporters’ luncheon.
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Not long after school had finished for the week, Rochester Sportspower owners Leigh and Chanal Hartshorne said three or four sportspeople had already been through the business and used their $300 vouchers, from the profits of the annual event that this year attracted almost 180 people.
“We had one waiting at the business at 9am (Friday), because the vouchers were handed out at training on Thursday night,” Leigh said.
Past Tigers president and coach Rob Aitken, who co-ordinates the Melbourne luncheon that was headlined by headline-making Carlton Football Club president Luke Sayers, said the club had decided to support its junior members knowing just how many families had struggled since the events of October 2022.
Through the club’s My Shout Membership program, all footballers and netballers at Rochester were gifted their subscription to the club for 2023.
And, with the $13,000 contribution via the Sportspower vouchers, most underage players were able to purchase new netball shoes and football boots, along with a range of other game-day gear.
The Hartshornes have been in the store for just six months, having lived in the town for eight years.
Leigh is coaching Rochester’s Bendigo league under-14 team and before that was an umpire for the under-12 team.
They shared the story of one junior footballer who was waiting for them to open the doors of the business on Friday.
“He bought himself something and (something for) his younger sister on her birthday. It was brilliant,” Leigh said.
“I said to him, ‘these boots are on special’, but he said he could afford the more expensive pair and wanted those.”
Mr Aitken said in previous years, funds from the Melbourne luncheon had benefited the club as a whole, but due to the outside support for the Tigers this year, they were able to send the funds in another direction.
“It was a pretty emotional night when we handed out the vouchers. There were tears in the eyes of some kids when they accepted the voucher,” he said.
Asics and Concave boots were the first choice item, along with the latest in netball footwear. The new shoes were tested by most on a wet Saturday at Benalla, but the under-15 netballers will have to wait until this weekend as Benalla did not have a team in their division.
Included in the 44 players to receive vouchers were two under-16 players who had stepped up as fill-ins for the under-18 team.
Shop ‘til you drop: Tara Atley, Ray Pearson and Matisse Martin flank long-time Rochester Football Netball Club official, coach and player Rob Aitken, with Rochester Sportspower owners Leigh and Chanal Hartshorne (front) on Friday.
