Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation (SCHF) is joining forces with the Sydney Swans as the team’s Partner Supporting Kids’ Health for the 2023 AFL and AFLW Premiership Seasons.
Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation believes that all children should have access to the best possible healthcare, whenever and wherever they need it. Working with the Sydney Swans, SCHF will drive that mission by creating fun and engaging experiences for kids and young people that emphasise the importance of nutrition, sports and physical activity. SCHF and the Swans will also create kid-friendly content to help prevent sports injuries and promote healthy lifestyles to children and young people.
Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation CEO Kristina Keneally said the Sydney Swans are a great partner to help raise awareness of the critical services provided by Sydney’s two children’s hospitals and Australia’s largest network of paediatric care.
A world-leading hospital network for children and young people requires broad community support and that is why Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation is delighted to join with the Sydney Swans as its Partner Supporting Kids’ Health,” said Kristina Keneally.
Sydney Swans CEO Tom Harley said the team’s partnership with the Foundation to support kids’ health is a great opportunity to share stories of the amazing work of The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and the Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick with the club’s two million AFL fans.
"Partnering with the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation was an easy choice for us because they share our club values of supporting the community and helping kids live active, healthy lives,” said Tom Harley.
Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation is one of the largest and most trusted children’s health charities in Australia dedicated to raising funds to help provide children with access to the best possible healthcare.
In the last three years – despite the pandemic - SCHF raised $170 million from donors to support the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network: The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, Bear Cottage, the Newborn and paediatric Emergency Transport Service (NETS), and Kids Research.
One young Australian that has benefited from the work of the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network is Ollie Lynch. Ollie was born with a double outlet right ventricle, which meant he needed open heart surgery when he was just two days old. Since then, Ollie has had dozens more surgeries, including having his foot amputated when he was four. He now wears a prosthetic leg, which he regularly swaps for his Össur Cheetah Xplore Junior blade to compete in athletics championships. And his unwavering determination and lightning speed have earned him the nickname, Blade Boy.
Kristina Keneally said, “Ollie is so inspiring , and stories like his are what drives all the incredible work the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation does every day. Partnering with the Sydney Swans, their fans and their players will help more Aussie kids like Ollie and their families live their best possible lives.”
About Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation
Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation is all in for kids’ health. We exist to promote charitable investment in the prevention and management of childhood illness, with a focus on kids and families receiving treatment or care in services provided by NSW’s network of children’s hospitals and paediatric health services. One of the largest and most trusted kid’s health charities in the country, with one foot at the front line and one in the future of kids’ health, we make sure funds raised go directly to support children’s healthcare - from the hospital wards to the treatment rooms, the research labs to the outreach programs - to help all sick kids, no matter where, no matter what. www.schf.org.au
About Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans has the largest fan base of any sporting team in Australia with an estimated 2.01 million fans*. Established in 1874 as the South Melbourne Football Club, the Swans relocated to Sydney in 1982 and made their home at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The club aspires to be the highest performing sporting club in Australia – one that enriches the lives of its members by striving to be better today than yesterday. Visit the website: www.sydneyswans.com.au
*According to YouGov Jan 2023.
