Dec
01
2017
KEVIN WHITE AND JULIAN KHAZZOUH INSPIRE PORT MACQUARIE YOUTH
For the second year in a row, a group of young men from Port Macquarie travelled to Sydney for a jam-packed experience of fun, education and basketball, participating in a Charity Bounce Stand Tall Program with Illawarra Hawks captain Kevin White and former Sydney Kings player Julian Khazzouh. The program was a collaboration project between The Clontarf Foundation and Charity Bounce. The Clontarf program aims to improve the education, discipline, life skills, self-esteem and employment prospects of young Aboriginal men.
The custom-designed program kicked off with an interactive basketball clinic for 25 young people run by Kevin White and Julian Khazzouh. After the Stand Tall program, 40 young people from Port Macquarie got to experience a night of action to see the Sydney Kings battle it out against the visiting Cairns Taipans.
“The Stand Tall program not only aims to teach young people basketball skills but also help them make positive choices and set goals in their own lives – regardless of the level of challenges they face,” said Ian Heininger, CEO at Charity Bounce. “Charity Bounce focuses on providing young people with out of reach opportunities that they would normally not have access to.”
The Stand Tall initiative consists of strengths-based basketball and leadership programs for young people, using basketball as a means of engagement and providing an impacting experience that inspires participants to set goals and be motivated about their own future.
The programs include both on and off court activities including basketball skills & drills using social emotional learning research related to the development of employability skills for young people. The programs are facilitated by experienced youth workers and provide young people with the opportunity to train with elite basketballers and skilled coaches, enjoying inspiring and engaging activities while hearing inspirational life messages delivered by basketball industry role models.
Since launching in June 2016, Charity Bounce has welcomed more than 7000 participants across all of its programs.
Charity Bounce is a not for profit organisation that exists to inspire positive change to overcome disadvantage for individuals and communities. With a focus on Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders and Culturally Diverse communities, including newly arrived refugees we aim to move people toward a more positive future through the development of sports, the arts, health, education and employment focused social programs. The programs are delivered in partnership with professional athletes to motivate change and inspire.
