THE MELBOURNE Football Club, in conjunction with charity partner Reach and co-principal partner Zurich, is shining a light on loneliness for this year’s ‘Round for Reach’.
The dedicated game, which will take place in Round 16 when Melbourne does battle with Fremantle, will see the Demons encourage others to share experiences in an effort to stay connected during the current pandemic.
With one in two Australians feeling lonelier since the COVID-19 outbreak, Reach’s support of young people is more important than ever.
The not-for-profit organisation, which was founded by Demons legend Jim Stynes and is now in its 26th year, equips the youth with tools to bounce back from life’s unexpected challenges.
And as young Australians report higher levels of anxiety, depression and loneliness in the current climate, connection is paramount – a message the Demons are proud to get behind.
“My job is to be the strong one in the family,” Melbourne captain and Reach ambassador Max Gawn said.
“During the pandemic, I’m learning so much about myself and although we might not see it right now, we are growing stronger because of it.”
Gawn’s teammates echoed the sentiment, sharing their thoughts in a video for the special round.
“Not being able to see family and friends back home has certainly been hard, especially knowing they’re doing it hard back in Victoria,” Ed Langdon said.
“I think the lesson we’ve learnt is just being able to embrace everything that comes our way and understand that it’s never going to be perfect at the moment,” Tom McDonald said.
Zurich has also shown its support, making an incredible $25,000 donation to the organisation.
The generosity follows a donation of the same amount in 2019, when Melbourne and Reach took a stand against online bullying and cyber-attacks.
While this year’s game day will look slightly different, in that the Demons will be playing in Cairns as opposed to at the MCG, it’s just as significant for Melbourne and the wider community.
Learn more about Reach and its mission to help people #StayConnected.
