Free Christmas lunch for needy, Frankston Dolphins, SkyBus Stadium
The Dolphins are joining with Frankston Community Life and the local council to fill bellies and lift spirits on December 25. Here’s how.
South East
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About 500 people from “disadvantaged and lonely’’ backgrounds will experience some Christmas cheer at Frankston Football Club this year.
With the Frankston Life Community Church, the Dolphins will be putting on a lunch on the ground at SkyBus Stadium on Christmas Day.
Frankston general manager Adrian Lloyd said it would be a big occasion – and all he wanted for Christmas was good weather on the day.
He said the Dolphins were striving to be a “real community club’’.
“It’s very much on our mandate to make sure we’re supporting the local community,’’ Lloyd said.
“I’ll certainly be there serving the meals. I’m going to be doing an Eddie McGuire, only on a bigger scale and outdoors.
“But I’ll be just one of many volunteers giving up their Christmas lunch to be involved.’’
Frankston City Council has unwrapped a $10,000 grant towards the lunch.
South Ward Cr Liam Hughes said the council was proud to support such a worthy cause.
“The annual free Christmas Day lunch gives heart to the disadvantaged and isolated. It’s a wonderful example of the true meaning of Christmas,’’ he said.
“Christmas is about giving – that’s why the Council has provided Frankston Life Community with a $10,000 grant to Frankston Life Community for the festive lunch and associated activities, along with its continued support to Frankston Football Club through infrastructure investment and related assistance.’’
The annual Frankston Life Community Christmas lunch has been held at Frankston Arts Centre in recent years, but will be held as an outdoor event at SkyBus Stadium this year in line with COVID safe practices.
Frankston Life Community CEO Pastor Mark Whitby praised all those who had done so much to make this year’s lunch a reality.
“This is our 19th lunch and one of the things that always hits me is the way our community come together on Christmas Day. It says something very strongly about the spirit of Frankston that we look after each other,” Pastor Whitby said.
All guests at the lunch will receive a gift. Those who would like to donate a gift can do so at the Christmas Giving Tree at Frankston Library. Unwrapped gifts worth $20 or less and suitable for a child up to the age of 16 can be donated and placed under the Christmas Giving Tree at Frankston Library until Monday, 21 December.
For more information including where to get tickets for the lunch or to volunteer, please visit http://frankston.life/community/Christmas-lunch/
