Hawthorn Sign Five-Year Extension With Epic Good Foundation

Hawthorn Football Club will continue its philanthropic partnership with the Epic Good Foundation taking the relationship beyond a decade.

The five-year $1.25 million extension will allow Epic Good to dramatically increase the scope of its program and Close the Gap in health, education and employment in Indigenous communities whilst empowering young, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to reach their full potential.

The next five years of the partnership will seek to create Indigenous employment opportunities, grow Indigenous participation in sport, promote healthy lifestyle changes, school attendance and retention and foster reconciliation nationally.

Through the partnership extension, Hawthorn’s Indigenous Program will continue to affect real change with the employment of an Indigenous Programs Coordinator and appointment of two cadetships to students from Worawa Girls College.

Hawthorn CEO, Justin Reeves, acknowledged the club’s unique opportunity to educate a wide section of the community and thanked Epic Good for its significant contribution.

“Epic Good’s five-year commitment to our program ensures we can continue to achieve positive outcomes and real change for Indigenous communities,” Reeves said.

“As one of the largest sporting clubs in the country, we have an amazing opportunity to reach a large number of people and subsequently, have a genuine impact on fostering reconciliation across Australia.

Epic Good co-founder, Stuart Giles, highlighted sporting clubs’, in particular, Hawthorn’s, unique ability to provide a mechanism for social change.

“AFL is an integral part of many Indigenous communities and can provide a bridge between communities and cultures, which is why our partnership with Hawthorn such an important one,” Giles said.

“We are excited to see where the next five years will take us.

Hawthorn will also launch its inaugural Reconciliation Action Plan later this year and provide Indigenous cultural awareness training for everyone employed at the club.