COLES is throwing their support behind Mallabula’s little athletes with a $1,800 grant to help Tilligerry and Districts Little Athletics buy brand new equipment for the new season.

The latest round of grants from the Coles Little Athletics Community Fund takes Coles’ donation to grassroots Little Athletics centres to more than $2.2 million in four years and will help centres buy new sports and safety equipment such as javelins, discuses, and defibrillators to support aspiring athletes and community volunteers.

This year’s grants have been made possible with money raised by Coles, its banana growers and customers during the inaugural Coles Little Athletics Banana A-Peel held earlier this year, when 10 cents of every kilogram of Cavendish bananas sold in Coles supermarkets was donated to the cause.

Tilligerry and Districts Little Athletics Treasurer Jade Morrison said the grant will help the centre’s dedicated volunteers to focus on providing a quality program for its athletes rather than fundraising.

“Our committee are hardworking and do everything possible to keep the centre up and we give everything to our club and any financial assistance will help us greatly,” she said.

“COVID restrictions impacted on our ability to fundraise from canteen sales and a weekly raffle at the local RSL.

“With this grant, we’ll be able to buy a new online timing program and laptop that will alleviate the need to have multiple timekeepers.”

“The new laptop and program will mean that only one or two parents will be required to keep time and the results will be automatically uploaded on a laptop.

“This in turn will mean we can have more families helping at other events, or actually sitting back and enjoying watching their children compete.”

Coles State General Manager Ivan Slunjski said Coles was delighted to continue to support grassroots Little Athletics centres in New South Wales through initiatives like the Coles Little Athletics Community Fund and banana donations.

“Coles has been a proud supporter of Little Athletics for over five years, and we’re delighted to provide over $80,000 in sports equipment grants to NSW’s Little Athletics centres to help them gear up for this season,” he said.

“We’re particularly delighted to help centres that were affected by the floods earlier this year so that they can replace some of their equipment.

“We know very well the devastating impact these floods have had on local clubs and communities, and we hope these grants will help them to recover and look forward to a new Little Athletics season.”

More than $250,000 in sports equipment grants were distributed to 73 Little Athletics centres across Australia in the latest round of grants from the Coles Little Athletics Community Fund.

Since the Fund was established just four years ago, Little Athletics NSW centres have shared in over $725,000 from money raised and donated by Coles and its banana growers and customers.

In addition to the distribution of sports equipment grants, Coles will continue to support Little Athletics centres across New South Wales with banana donations from local supermarkets throughout the season.