For Janelle McClellan, a love for the Cronulla Sharks is something she has developed over a long and personal connection with the Club.
Her brother, David 'Hook' Broughton, played over 80 games for the Club in the 1990s, and Miller remembers days and nights spent watching her beloved Sharks and cheering on the Black, White and Blue.
So when the opportunity came to give her support to the Jodie Orphanage orphanage in Bali, she knew exactly the way to offer the children of the village a gift that would help them for the rest of their lives.
McClellan said it was her passion for helping people which enabled this gift to materialise.
“I need to be doing something all the time,” said McClellan.
“First it was raising $12,000 for my friend whose husband passed away, then I did Chris O’Brien’s 60km walk (to raise funds for Women’s Cancer) so then I just thought that we’re going over to Bali, it’s my 40th birthday so I want to do something special.
McClellan’s instinct was then triggered by a simple Google search which aligned her with a woman very close to the Shire’s heart.
“I looked on the Internet for orphanage’s in Bali and Jodie O’Shea’s orphanage came up.
“Jodie was a Shire girl who passed away in the Bali Bombing (October 12, 2002) with her friend. I didn’t know Jodie but I knew her best friend Renee Anderson so I thought that would be great.”
In her true humble spirit, McClellan enquired to the Orphanage to determine whether there was a possibility of giving back to the children and people involved.
When Orphanage manager Alison Chester told Janelle the history of the Orphanage, she was set.
“I’ve been speaking to Alison Chester, the orphanage manger and she told me the reason why she’s built the orphanage to where it is today is because when the Bali Bombings happened she went to the hospital and she was told to sit with Jody and when she was wheeling her out of the hospital, Jodie turned to her and said “Thank you for sitting with me” and she got in the plane and passed away so that’s why she thought, I’m going to create this orphanage for her.
“There’s actually a little girl at the orphanage who’s 6 months old and her name is Gracie O’Shea in the name of Jodie.”
In what is a truly compelling example of human spirit winning out above all else, McClellan says that it’s wonderful to see an organisation which is so close to her family, in the Sharks be so generous in donating over 80 shirts to provide to the children of the Orphanage.
“It’s awesome to see so much support from not just the Cronulla Sharks but also the community in general.”
September 19 marks the day that McClellan will travel to Bali to donate the gifts along with meet the children along with Alison Chester in the flesh and be able to see the great work done to make a difference in the Balinese community.
McClellan says that when she is in Bali, there is a few things at the top of her to-do-list, with one special task on her mind.
“When I get over there, I’m going to take some of the children from the orphanage shopping so they can learn how to buy things and then we’ll go back and give the groceries to the orphanage.
“My goal is though, to buy them a mini refrigerator.
Find out how you can be a part of the Cronulla Sharks Community Program in 2016 and give back to the community today.
