By BRIDGET COOK
THE City of Casey has added another partnership with an elite sporting club to its list, signing a three-year partnership with the Melbourne Stars this week.
The council and the Melbourne Stars KFC T20 Big Bash League Club (BBL) team have embarked on a three-year partnership aimed at promoting the development of cricket and other sports initiatives in Casey.
The council already has community partnerships with the Melbourne Football Club, the Casey Scorpians and the Casey South Melbourne Cricket Club.
The first major event as part of the partnership will be the Casey Melbourne Stars Family Fun Day at Casey Fields on Sunday 15 December, where there will be cricket stars, entertainment and activities on offer.
Following the family fun day, the cricket stars will continue to be involved in a number of community programs and activities throughout the year.
City of Casey mayor Geoff Ablett said the council was thrilled to be partnering with the Melbourne Stars and looked forward to showing its support for the exciting team.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to ensure that residents will have exposure to some of the best sports players and personalities in the country,” he said.
“We have a strong base of cricket players and sports fans in Casey, who will really enjoy and benefit from this partnership in more ways than one.
“Council is committed to attracting elite sporting clubs to Casey to boost the profile of sport and active recreation in our community and to help establish pathways from beginner to representative and elite levels of competition.”
“By working with the Melbourne Stars, the City of Casey will further cement its passion for offering residents opportunities to watch and participate in sport and learn from the best, close to home.”
Melbourne Stars chief executive Clint Cooper was thrilled with the news that the Casey partnership had been extended.
“We’re absolutely delighted to partner with such a passionate and growing community like Casey,” he said.
“From a Melbourne Stars perspective, we’re committed to fostering the development of cricket from the grassroots level and our three-year partnership will enable us to actively promote our game, and sport in general, to a much wider audience.”
The family fun day will be held on Sunday 15 December from noon to 4pm. In the morning, there will be cricket clinics and matches from 8.30am, with the Melbourne Stars to plat at 10am.
For more information, visit www.casey.vic.gov.au or the Melbourne Stars website at www.melbournestars.com.au.
