Move FM Regional news

Local schools throughout Lithgow, Oberon, Bathurst and the Blue Mountains will be receiving tens of thousands of dollars worth of sports equipment from Coles, as part of the supermarket chain’s Sports for Schools program.

Lithgow schools alone are expected to receive nearly $15,000 in sports gear this month after collecting more than 300,000 vouchers at their local supermarkets.

Over coming weeks, Coles will deliver an extensive range of quality sports gear to around 10 primary and secondary schools in the region.

Sports gear will include popular items such as cricket and softball bats, footballs, basketballs, javelins, hockey sticks, skipping ropes, racquets, first aid kits and nets.

The local schools were among more than 7,000 schools across Australia that participated in the Sports for Schools program between February and April this year by collecting over 200 million vouchers at Coles.

The school to receive the most sporting equipment in the region will be Lithgow’s Cooerwull Public School which collected more than 57,000 vouchers.

World champion athlete Sally Pearson said it was exciting to hear that so much equipment will be delivered to schools across the community.

“It’s a dream come true for schools to be given all this equipment enabling kids to keep fit and healthy. Hopefully we’ll see future Olympic Champions as a result of this Coles initiative,” she said.

State General Manager Emma Bridges said Coles was delighted to be delivering sports equipment to local schools.

“We’re really impressed by the way the local community has got behind the program by collecting so many vouchers for their school,” she said.

Across the nation, Coles expects to give away around $10 million worth of quality sports gear.