AFL clubs, GWS captain Toby Greene get behind ‘River’s Game’ SIDS charity event
A charity event between local footy sides from Victoria and Sydney is going to be bigger than ever, with three AFL clubs and GWS captain Toby Greene getting involved.
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Karl and Alex Waddell often see social media posts from parents about their children starting high school or becoming teenagers.
It is a grim reminder of what they were unable to experience with their own son River.
“There is a sense of, why not us? Why couldn’t River be with us and we be celebrating the same thing?” Karl said.
River would have become a teenager himself on Tuesday, but he tragically passed away after just four months from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
“It is a day of reflection for us, I find his birthday is an easier day to swallow and process than the anniversary of the day he passed,” Karl said.
“For the most part we look back and reflect on the beautiful time we had with River in the four months that he was with us, so there is a lot of pride and a lot of positivity that we feel about River and about his legacy.”
His legacy lives on through the River’s Gift charity, which aims to stamp out SIDS with research funding and education around safe sleep for infants.
Their major fundraiser each year is River’s Game between the Ocean Grove Cobras in the Victorian Bellarine region and the Glebe Greyhounds, a club in the inner-west of Sydney.
Last year 250 kids from the Cobras and Greyhounds played out a series of ‘State of Origin’ games down in Ocean Grove, and in 2024 the concept is bigger and better than ever.
In 2024, the Cobras will travel 955km from Ocean Grove to Glebe for the two-day event at Jubilee Oval, which is expected to have 350 kids competing in eight matches across this weekend.
And AFL clubs Sydney, Greater Western Sydney and Geelong are getting in on the act, donating signed merchandise that will be auctioned off.
GWS captain Toby Greene is set to be there on Sunday morning along with Carlton assistant coach Aaron Hamill after the Giants’ clash with the Blues on Saturday, with the pair expected to perform a live cross on Channel 7’s Sunrise.
Greene will also be donating four passes to his ‘5th Quarter’ footy camp for the auction.
Waddell is aiming to raise $40,000 of donations and they are well on track to reach that target with more than half of that figure raised – including a $10,000 donation from Telstra.
“Out of what is any parent’s worst nightmare and a tragedy for us as a family, to know that we have been able to forge a positive pathway out of that and that River’s legacy star is shining bright, it is pretty powerful,” Karl said.
“It is pretty significant and is humbling to know that our little man is making such an impact and such a difference.”
Originally published as AFL clubs, GWS captain Toby Greene get behind ‘River’s Game’ SIDS charity event
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