Burpengary soccer team kicking goals for girls in new Socktober promotion
Socktober in Queensland has a new face… well, more like ten new faces. The school-based community engagement initiative of Catholic Mission was officially launched Tuesday, and the stars of the show are the girls from the St Eugene’s Spirits football team.
The St Eugene's Spirits are throwing their support behind Socktober this year
The team represents St Eugene’s College Burpengary, in Brisbane’s north. The school is fully on board with Socktober in 2019, which is being rolled out in dioceses across eastern Australia including Brisbane, Cairns and Sydney.
Socktober encourages students and families to broaden their perspective while supporting the work of Catholic Mission in developing countries, using the medium of the world game—soccer.
‘It is terrific to see our girls learning and contributing to our community as advocates for change on such a large scale,’ said Nathan Jacobs, Assistant Principal Religious Education at St Eugene’s.
The school threw its support behind the campaign this year, registering through the socktober.org.au platform. Students have created individual profiles and have begun raising funds to “sock it to poverty”.
A penalty shootout-style tournament will be the centrepiece of the school’s Socktober Event Day, held on October 30. Students are sponsored to score goals against a guest goalkeeper with two different styles of ball—a regular synthetic ball, and a ‘sockball’ made from recycled materials just like the makeshift balls made by children in developing countries around the world.
David McGovern says Socktober has many benefits beyond fundraising for children in need.
‘Socktober is more than just a fun way to raise funds,’ says David McGovern, Catholic Mission Diocesan Director for Brisbane. ‘It’s also a powerful way of connecting young people in Australia to the reality of those who are less fortunate.’
There is added motivation for the girls of the St Eugene’s Sprits, who appear in Catholic Mission’s new promotion for Socktober.
Cailyn Waters, the captain of the Spirits, says a love of football unifies her team and girls like them around the world who, due to poverty and oppression, cannot play football. ‘This season with the Spirits we kicked a lot of goals in tournaments, but now in Socktober we’re kicking goals for girls around the world,’ she said.
‘Socktober aims to affirm Pope Francis’ initiative of sport at the service of humanity, which came about in 2017,’ says Mr McGovern. ‘Cailyn and the girls at St Eugene’s epitomise the very essence of that initiative.’
Mr Jacobs agreed that Socktober allows his students to kick goals on and off the pitch. ‘Social action and justice are central to our Oblate understanding of the person and message of Jesus Christ. We constantly endeavour to help our students understand the importance to respect the dignity of every person.’
To get involved and learn more about Socktober and the work of Catholic Mission, visit socktober.org.au today!
