Thanks to an all-star sports panel, there was plenty of entertainment at this year's Palletco - Crows Foundation Cocktail Party at the Alma Hotel on Friday February 26, to help raise funds for the Crows Foundation for South Australian children in need. We're indebted to them for their great support. As panel chair, Ryan "Fitzy" Fitzgerald (of Nova and FIVEaa fame) created his usual mayhem. Bewdy Fitzy!

While the Crows battled in the wet in Alice Springs, injured players lent a hand on the night. Andy Otten worked the room hard with the raffle book, Jason Porplyzia enjoyed his first function as a Crows Foundation Board member and the two Brads -- Symes and Moran featured on the panel.

Through the Childhood Cancer Association, a grant recipient, we met a brave and inspirational nine year old during the evening. Tani, her brother Elliot and Mum Lou, helped the gathering understand the importance of the Association's work.

Palletco proprietors, John and Brigid Piro, helped to gather a full house and contributed generously to the function's costs. Their mates, Paul and Kathy Drogemuller, from Paracombe Wines kindly offered their fine Hills product behind it, too. Talented singer, Tania Praino, and her accompanist David Fitzgerald donated their services and added real class to the evening. Brock Harcourt's Greg Moulton raised a heap during the auction, even persuading a Geelong supporter, Tom, to get right into the action.

Thanks to everybody who turned up and made it a great night -- and a very successful fund-raiser for the Crows Foundation for kids in need.

Overall the function helped to raise much needed funds for the Crows Foundation raising in excess of $14,000. This is an amazing figure and one which the foundation is extremely grateful for. 

Andy Otten attended the Crows Foundation funded Duke of Edinburgh Awards two-day camp for new immigrants at Victor Harbor over the weekend.

 Nearly 1000 people enjoyed Tuesday night’s Crows Foundation Christmas Carols for the first time in the new shed. 

Special guest Tim Campbell was joined by Crows players, the 5aa rockers, ‘the three captains’, the Woodville Concert Band and Adelaide University Choral Society. 

The former Home and Away star and host of Channel Nine’s Singing Bee entertained the crowd with four Christmas carols as well as helping Adelaide’s playing squad in their rendition of ‘Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer’. 

All funds raised on the night went towards the $60,000 over three years promised to Ronald McDonald House from the Crows Foundation to fund the new children’s playground equipment at their new premises.

Click here to see Channel Crow’s coverage including an exclusive interview with Tim Campbell.

The thought of Jason Porplyzia hard at work for the Crows usually evokes visions of his evasive skills, flawless goal kicking and sticky hands in the forward line.

But now Porps, as he is affectionately known, will be working for the Club off the field as well, joining the Crows Foundation.

Porplyzia replaces retired Nathan Bassett as the players’ representative on the Crows Foundation Board.

As the independent charity arm of the Adelaide Football Club, the Crows Foundation raises funds for children in need. Since its inception in May 2005, it has granted more than
$500,000 to more than thirty children’s charities across South Australia.

Replacing Bassett will be a hard act to follow, with ‘Bass’ dedicating much of his spare time over the past five years to helping raise the profile and fundraising abilities of the Crows Foundation.

But with his recent appointment as League Coach of Norwood, Nathan felt it time to step aside and allow a current player to add his thoughts and values to the Crows Foundation.

And Porplyzia was top of Bassett’s list as a suitable replacement.

“He is a young leader in the club, very well respected by his peers,” Bassett said.

“Porps is also smart, a good listener and to top it off a South Australian born and bred.

“It will be fantastic, both for the Crows Foundation and also for Porps’ personal development off the field.”

Porplyzia, who finished runner up in the Club best and fairest last season and led the Club’s goal kicking with 57 majors, is thrilled to be chosen and really looking forward to role.

The 25-year-old says it is a real honour that the Crows Foundation Board thought he was a worthy replacement, and particularly that he was Nathan Bassett’s first choice.

“I have such enormous respect for Bass and he had such an influence at the club that to read his comments was quite humbling,” Porplyzia said.

“It is going to be different from anything I have ever done before, and will certainly take me out of my comfort zone, but I am looking forward to that challenge.

“Football has given me so many opportunities and this is a great way that I can give back to the community and help those in need.”

Crows Foundation Chairman Keith Conlon is equally excited by the new appointment.

“The Board went through quite a detailed process to short list a group of players who we thought would be appropriate and Jason Porplyzia was top of that list,” Conlon said.

“We are thrilled he has accepted the role and really look forward to Jason’s input as we move forward.”

She looks the picture of perfect health.

Until the last decade or so, Cystic Fibrosis was a ‘childhood disease’ since most people with the condition sadly died before the age of 18. However, with advances in treatment including better medications, the (limited) availability of transplants and most importantly a greater emphasis on physical fitness have increased life expectancy dramatically. People born with CF today have a 50:50 chance of seeing their 35^th birthday and it is hoped that continued advances in treatment and, perhaps, genetic research will continue this trend. Treating CF is a time consuming and expensive business. 40-60 tablets a day are required to aid digestion, other nebulised drugs to clear the lungs must be taken several times a day, physiotherapy is usually required twice a day (although this can be reduced if a sporting or physical activity is undertaken) and most children with CF will be admitted to hospital 2-4 times a year for a period of around 14 days each time.

The Royal Society for the Blind (RSB) is the primary responsible organisation for people who are blind or vision impaired in South Australia. Services range from adaptive technology, orientation and mobility, RSB Guide Dog Service, counselling, print alternatives, recreation and sport services, low vision clinic, employment and industrial services to name a few. These services are provided by the RSB free of charge.

The Crows Foundation has recently committed $10,000 for three years to The Smith Family to support the delivery of Let’s Read, an early literacy support program designed to encourage parents to read with their young children. This is the single most important activity that parents can do to develop their child’s future ability to read and write. Reading aloud with children also supports their language development, and promotes a parent-child bond that enables parents to relate positively with their child. Let's Read is an initiative of the Centre for Community Child Health, is being implemented across Australia in partnership with The Smith Family.

Our beloved Crow Panda has been named! 

He will be fondly refered to as 'Bunji' from now on. This is a fitting name given Andrew McLeod's fantastic dedication to helping children.

Please contact Jill Moss (jmoss@afc.com.au or 8440 6666) if you would like to have Bunji visit your office, school or community event.

The Crows Foundation has already committed to numerous projects for 2009. Please have a read below to learn about some of the exciting funding grants that will be happening.

A very exciting project that the Crows Foundation has committed to recently is the new building development for Ronald McDonald House. The existing building provides accommodation and support to families with seriously ill children, who live more than 100km from metropolitan Adelaide. There is currently a long waiting list and the Ronald McDonald House Board has bought a site across the road from their existing facility on Melbourne St, where they are to build eight two-bedroom apartments and two cottages. The new additions will house ten more families at any one time. The Crows Foundation will fund the brand new playground to be built alongside the new accommodation.

 

Youth Opportunities Personal Leadership Program is another South Australian organisation to receive funding this year. The grant will provide disengaged young people with the opportunity to make positive changes to their lives. The program aims to teach young people to take control of their life rather than remain a victim of their circumstances. It is an intensive ten-week program followed by two years of further support including annual seminars.

 

The Smith Family¹s Top Marks program will be funded by the Crows Foundation for the next three years. The program is designed to build the confidence, skills and experience of parents in supporting the development of their young children for success at school particularly in reading. It provides support for children and their parents from birth through to the middle years of schooling. The overwhelming aim of the program is to teach children to enjoy reading and inspire them to pick up a book and read.

 

Save the Children is an ongoing grant which the Crows Foundation has made a three-year commitment to from 2008-2010. The funding supports two Future Parents Programs in metropolitan SA. It is an early child abuse prevention program designed to engage young parents aged 13-19 years.  The course increases their child care knowledge and skills along with having access to positive parenting resources and networks in a community setting.

 

Our beloved Crow Panda needs a name! If you have any suggestions please email them to jmoss@afc.com.au Entries close Thursday 26 February at 5pm. If your name is chosen you will be part of the pre-match Giant panda welcome at the Crows opening home match this season.

The Palletco ) SA cocktail party was held on Saturday 31 January and it went with great success. The Crows Foundation would like to thank John and Brigid Piro for their initiative and desire to host a function on behalf of the Crows Foundation with every dollar coming directly to the Crows Foundation.

Acknowledgements of the evening include:
Palletco ) SA
Paracombe Wines
Tania Priano
Keith Conlon
AFC Players - Jon Griffin, Greg Gallman, Richard Douglas, Scott Stevens and David Mackay
Greg Moulton
Botten Dnistriansky Kellis Lawyers
Boral Masonry and Roofing
Active Asphalt
McCormack Reynolds
Cornes Toyota
Timber and Latice
Kelly and Co
Rostervor College
VT Moriarty
Telstra
ANZ
Gannon Group

It was a fantastic night that was enjoyed by everyone who attended with interviews, raffles, auctions and great food and wine.

Without the hard work of John and Brigid, the night would not have been a success and the Crows Foundation is grateful of their support.

Thankyou for the support given at the recent luncheons. We were able to raise nearly $15,000 from both the Crows Foundation Luncheon held at the Queens Arms on September 17 2008 along with the annual Crows Foundation Grand Final Luncheon held the following week on Tuesday 23 September.

They participated in various fundraising activities including; raffles, auctions, a countdown for cash and a special game titled 'Goal or Point?' where guests watched footage and had to guess whether a kick resulted in a goal or a point!

Please contact Tilney Lewis on 8440 6622 or tlewis@afc.com.au if you wish to hold your very own corporate fundraiser.

 

A special thank you to all of our members, supporters, sponsors and partners who all donated to the Kickin4Kids event last Friday. Over $135,000 was raised on the day, with Crows supporters ringing 5AA with their generous donations.

Some of our players headed into the 5AA studios, along with Mark Holden, Katrina Webb and Rachael Sporn representing the Crows Ambassadors. Thank you to Nathan Bock, Nathan Bassett, Ivan Maric, Robert Shirley, Taylor Walker, Nick Gill, Trent Hentschel, Scott Stevens and James Sellar who all participated across the day and helped us raise such an amazing total.

Through the Crows Foundation, we will distribute our third of the total funds raised and will keep you updated through www.crowsfoundation.com.au or www.afc.com.au

On the weekend of 21 June 2008, thanks to the Crows Foundation, the Camp Quality family camp was held at Narnu Farm on Hindmarsh Island.  There were 45 guests and volunteers to entertain and support the families throughout the weekend to make it an enjoyable and memorable stay.

Family camps are an important program for Camp Quality as they provide respite for families with children living with cancer as well as giving families with newly diagnosed children, the opportunity to spend time with parents that have been through the rigors of treatment and have children in remission.  It also gives the families time to relax, and the opportunity for the parents to spend time together while Camp Quality entertains all the children.  

The children were kept busy with activities such as horse riding, movie nights, art and craft, games, animal feeding and much more. There was also a massage therapist on site for the parents to enjoy.

The Crows Foundation were delighted to donate $7000 towards funding this camp and were delighted so many children and parents enjoyed their time. Unfortunately the players were interstate, but we were so happy to hear the stories and know the Crows Foundation helped make a few smiles.

It was all smiles at the Variety Children's Centre Christmas party at Flinders Medical Centre on Thursday 20 December when Tyson Edwards, Ken McGregor, Bryce Campbell and Brad Moran arrived, arms overflowing with presents and plenty of Christmas cheer.

The quartet were joined by Camry Crow at the party which involved more than 120 children who have spent time in the centre over the past year.

The presents were generously donated by Adelaide Crows members and supporters as part of the "Crows and Toyota - Doing it for the Kids" campaign.

Hundreds of presents were placed under Christmas trees at Toyota metropolitan dealerships over the past month while there was an avalanche of presents donated at the Crows Christmas Carols on Monday night.

In total more than 500 presents were donated and the Variety Children's Centre were not the only beneficaries with All Australian captain Andrew McLeod leading a group of 15 players adorned with Santa hats and Reindeer ears delivering hundreds of presents to the Women's and Children's Hospital.

Champion Andrew McLeod’s on-field sporting prowess is well documented, but it is his work off the field which has been recognised today.

The 2007 All Australian captain has been awarded the Variety Heart of Football award in front of more than 1000 guests at the annual AFL Variety Great Grand Final Luncheon held at the Crown Palladium in Melbourne.

The award is presented annually to a person in the football fraternity who has continually displayed outstanding commitment to children.

This year the award recognises a current AFL player who has upheld these values. Past recipients have been Paul Dimattina, Glenn Archer and Matthew Richardson.

In making his speech at the Variety luncheon, which is in its 24th year and is a Melbourne grand final week institution, McLeod thanked Variety and said it was a great honour and totally unexpected.

McLeod said he was very reluctant to put his hand up when first nominated.

“Recognition is not why you do this kind of work,” McLeod said.

“There were two factors why I allowed the Club to nominate me.

“Firstly there was some serious persuasion from several people at the club, and secondly an award like this promotes the great work that AFL players do instead of harping on the negatives all the time.

“As AFL players we are in a privileged position where we can do something to help and that can mean little things like putting a smile on a child’s face.

“Making their day often makes my day as well.

“I do it because I enjoy it and it has certainly made me a better person.”

For more than a decade McLeod has dedicated much of his life to brightening the lives of children, not only in Adelaide and South Australia but also interstate.

Whether McLeod is found walking the wards at the local hospitals, addressing troubled young children, or lending his name, image and time to a charity campaign, he is tireless and selfless and has a “never say no” attitude in his commitment to children.

He also has the rare and magnetic quality of being able to connect with children of all ages and from various walks of life.

McLeod never expects or wants anything in return – in fact he often conveys his frustrations that he wishes he could do more.

This year alone McLeod has supported more than a dozen charities including the Variety Kick in 4 Kids radiathon at Radio FIVEaa which raised more than $150,000 for children’s charities.

And the dual Norm Smith medallist has already committed to being the face of the 2008 Kick in 4 Kids campaign.

Much of McLeod’s recent work has been through the Crows Foundation which is the Club’s official charity arm – formed in May 2005 – which has raised more than $250,000 for causes involving children in SA.

Andrew McLeod will received a $2000 cheque from Variety which he donated to the Crows Foundation.