Locally owned and independent
November 23, 2023
The Northern Rivers Times
NEWS 3
Turning the town purple to fight for respectful relationships ‘up their game’ and through the ClubGrants program, the bowling club donated $25,000 for more purple shirts, to the Rotary Club in Ballina. They then invited as many businesses as possible to get their staff wearing the purple shirts. “We just thought if we paint our town purple every Friday, we can get a conversation started about domestic violence,” he said. “When we offered the shirts, we thought a few businesses might take it up, but instead it went beserk with Ballina Shire Council being the first and putting an order in for 140. “We are thankful to the many businesses who have come on board to unite as one against domestic violence.”
By Samantha Elley If Tere Sheehan gets his way, purple will be the colour everyone sees each Friday, stretching from Ballina, where he is CEO of Cherry Street Bowling Club, right up to the Tweed. “We have been running a Purple Friday campaign to show our support in the fight against domestic violence,” he said. “Two Christmases ago we joined with Rotary and put our staff in purple shirts every Friday. “Then on 1st January this year of 2023, there was news of a woman in our area dying from domestic violence.” From there Mr Sheehan said they had to really
Purple shirts against domestic violence
Just last week, Mr Sheehan and representatives from Rotary, accompanied Ballina MP Justine Elliott to Parliament House in Canberra as part of the launch of the national campaign against family violence. “It was wonderful for our group to represent this vital work and voice it at a national level,” he said. “Cherry Street Sports Group and Ballina Shire businesses have been the instigators of spreading awareness and opening up conversations.” Mr Sheehan said he was now trying to get fellow club CEOs, up as far as the Tweed, to get their staff wearing the purple shirts. “We will be advocating this campaign in other
clubs in other towns and cities to ‘Say NO to domestic violence and YES to respectful relationships’.” On Friday December 1, Mr Sheehan said the annual Domestic Violence walk will take place through the streets of Ballina. “We have the support of both the NSW and QLD police,” he said. “We will start at Ballina pool, and with the roads closed off, it will head down the town centre, to Ballina school, opposite our club. “We will have our greens painted purple for the day and will encourage everyone to come over for some memorable shots.”
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