ON a day worthy of the man they were honouring, Fountain Gate Cricket Club and Chelsea Football Club staged a charity Twenty20 cricket match dedicated to recently deceased clubman David Biagi.
A sizeable crowd of friends, family and team-mates headed to Max Pawsey Reserve on Sunday afternoon to play out and watch the cricket, but more importantly, raise money to help David’s wife, Cara, finish renovations on their house that were started before he became ill.
“Yeah, beautiful day for it,” Hatch said. “It’s good to see everyone turn up – he had a lot of friends and it shows by everyone that’s here today.
“Cricket and footy – loved anything that was sport – he’s touched so many people through his sport and it’s good to have a great tribute to him.”
Hatch made sure Biagi knew before his passing that his mates would rally around to help Cara – first with the renovations – and then with keeping his memory alive.
“That’s right and that’s one of the things we mentioned to him before he passed away, that we wanted to help him out and let him know that she would be OK.
David’s friends set up the event and wish to continue his legacy with the naming of a charity in his honour – Maxi Makes a Difference – to promote awareness about the cancer, Ewing’s sarcoma, which took his life.
“We’re starting a charity called Maxi Makes a Difference – and we’re going to be like a sister charity to Rainbows for Kate,” Hatch said. “They promote awareness of Ewing’s Sarcoma, the one Dave passed away from, so we’re going to donate all the money we raise from the next couple to Rainbows for Kate.
“We’re going to do a gala dinner and a few more upcoming events and make it a bit more formal and it should be good.”
In a fitting way – with Biagi never being able to choose between his footy and his cricket – Chelsea and Fountain Gate finished the first Biagi Twenty20 in a draw.
