Starwin in partnership with ADF for the fourth year running to provide opportunity for eleven young Tiwi women & two leaders to visit Adelaide from 9-13 October on a career mentoring experience & to take part in the Around the Campfire Cup.
We are deeply grateful to Goodwill Hunting Co, Fitzroy Rotary Club, Rotary International and Lovekins for supporting us & making it all possible.
Around the Campfire Cup returns to Adelaide this October
Women’s football will take centre stage at the 2019 Adelaide Around the Campfire Carnival at Alberton Oval on October 12, showcasing the talents of non-Indigenous and Indigenous players from across the State while helping to tackle Indigenous disadvantage at the same time.
The annual competition is now in its fifth year, and provides an opportunity for women to learn or reconnect with Indigenous culture, create new friendships and networks, and to be promoted as role models within their communities. Fundraising from this year’s event will also be used to address high rates of chronic disease and suicide among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Five teams will compete in a round-robin style competition which involves playing two ten-minute games each, with the top two teams playing off for the Around the Campfire Cup.
This year’s teams are the Smithfield Football Club (FC, the Australian Defence Force Guyala Indigenous Women's team, St Michaels Old Scholars West Lakes FC, Adelaide University FC, and the Port Adelaide Football Club Women's Aboriginal Academy.
AFLW Ambassador and Marngrook Footy Show co-host Shelley Ware who will act as Master of Ceremonies and is excited about this year’s event commenting "I love all of the AFLW teams that return each year and the new teams, watching their bond grow.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing how much the players have developed over the last 12 months and what they will bring to the game. The amount of games they play out there and how gutsy they are blows my mind. It’s one of my favourite events of the year” said Ware.
The Carnival MVP will again be awarded the Maggie Varcoe Medal. This meal is named in honour of women’s footballer Maggie Varcoe, who passed away in 2018 after an on-field collision playing for Angle Vale in the Adelaide Football League’s Women’s Grand Final.
Around the Campfire Managing Director Chad McLaren said this year’s carnival will be preceded by several powerful workshops, to be held at the Port Club, on Friday, October 11, with players, support staff, family and friends invited to attend.
“We’re really pleased to be able to add these workshops to this year’s event, on top of what we expect to be a spectacular display of Women’s football,” Mr McLaren said.
“Deadly Thinking will present a mental wellbeing workshop tailored to Indigenous women, KWY Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Services will hold a domestic violence workshop and Starwin Enterprises from Darwin will talk about business development.”
A pre-carnival buffet, also to be held at The Port Club, will follow the workshops.
Mr McLaren said entry to the Around the Campfire Cup itself on October 12 will be via a gold coin donation which will support two key issues Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities want addressed: jobs and on-country healing.
“By supporting job growth and on-country healing, we believe we can help address the unacceptable high rates of chronic disease and suicide among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and prompt generational change,” Mr McLaren said.
Event partners this year include SA Health, the Port Adelaide Football Club, Iron Pharmacy Group, On the Ball Media, Studio Evans, The Press Gallery and the South Australian Government’s Office for Women.
A Western Australian Around the Campfire Cup will be held on November 16 at Fremantle Oval.
To book a FREE spot at the October 11 workshops visit Eventbrite – direct link is https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/2019-adelaide-around-the-campfire-cup-workshops-tickets-73918146165?ref=eios
For more information about Around The Campfire, visit www.aroundthecampfire.org.au
Key event timings
11th October - 10am-6 pm – Around The Campfire Cup workshops @ PAFC @ Alberton Oval - 9 Queen St Alberton cost is free - Register via Eventbrite.
12th October – Around The Campfire Cup – Alberton Oval from 10am with Opening Ceremony, and first game to kick off at 10.20am – gold coin entry fee. 5 teams will compete in 10 two x 12min games across the day with the top two teams playing in the Adelaide Around the Campfire Cup final 5pm.
Presentation of Around the Campfire Cup winners and Maggie Varcoe Medal at 5.40pm.
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About Around the Campfire: Around the Campfire was established in 2015 by Managing Director Chad McLaren as a response to the unacceptable life expectancy gap and levels of chronic disease of Indigenous Australians compared with non-Indigenous Australians.
Indigenous Australians are at a high risk of developing mental illness and suicide is a significant problem with younger age groups, particularly in remote communities. Improving the mental health in remote communities has become a focus of Around the Campfire Inc. Two other groups that are also at significant risk of developing a mental illness are military veterans and emergency services personnel and Around the Campfire is also committed to supporting these groups. Around the Campfire believes in women playing a significant role in improving the health and well-being of Indigenous Australians.
We encourage Australians to come together Around the Campfire to talk, share, learn, and support each other as much as we can.
Media contacts: The Press Gallery:
Sarah Coligan ph: 0404 003 061|E: sarahcoligan@thepressgallery.com.au
Bryan Littlely ph: 0419 405 706| E: bryan@thepressgallery.com.au