Albany Little Athletics gets grant for sun relief just in time for summer

The Albany Little Athletics Club will have a new marquee in time for the summer season after it received a community sports grant from Coles.

The club accepted a $2500 grant from the Coles Little Athletics Community Fund to help buy new sports equipment.

Club president Naomi Cooper said the grant would go towards big ticket items that they otherwise would not be able to afford.

“We are going to use it for a marquee sunshade because our club is getting quite a lot bigger and we have more athletes going away to competitions,” she said.

“Previously we just sat with no shade and with no club recognition or banners while other clubs had a big marquee at competitions.

“This marquee will not only help protect our athletes and families from the sun but also provide a centralised location for the club to meet on competition day and at country and State competitions.”

The marquee will feature the clubs colours and logo and is expected to be completed in time for the WA Country Championships in January.

Coles Little Athletics Australia president Andrew Pryor said the grants aimed to help centres develop the next generation of Olympians.

“The grants will help ensure little athletes of today have all the resources they need to develop into Olympians of the future,” he said.

“Around 75 per cent of the Australian track and field team who competed in the Tokyo Olympics and a further 23 per cent of para-athletes in the Paralympics had their start in little athletics.”