For most players, the bye week is a chance to put their feet up, relax, and recover. Not Jesse Ramien though.
The Sharks centre had a busy week running around the New South Wales bush, giving back to community.
Teaming up with Timana Tahu and Tyrone Roberts and working with Bulgarr Ngaru – a health organisation that provides medical, social and family support services to Aboriginal communities in New South Wales.
“We went out to Taree on Monday, Wello (Wellington) on Tuesday, Broken Hill on Wednesday, and went to the Juvenile Centre out at Dubbo on Thursday,” Ramien said.
“It’s just giving them that inspiration that no matter what dreams they have in life, if they work hard, then anything is possible. I’m from right next door, being from Coonamble, so it’s good for them to see that kids from out those ways can dream big and do anything that they want to do.”
Coming back from the bye refreshed and with his cup full, Ramien said the visits put life in perspective.
“You don’t realise until you go out and do things like that, you don’t realise how much of an impact you have on the communities and the kids out there,” Ramien said.
“It might only be for a couple of hours, and you might be there for a chat and play a few games, and have a yarn with them, but the impact it can have on them is massive.”
Sharks Head of Community & Government Relations Vinh Tran is proud of how much work the club’s players do in community.
“Our NRL and NRLW players are always going above and beyond to give back. We’ve been successfully running a Deadly Choices program since 2020 and have big plans for NAIDOC Week coming up.” Tran said.
The Sharks and Deadly Choices will be a part of an upcoming community festival for NAIDOC week on July 9, from 10am at Gunnamatta Park & Hall, Cronulla.
For more information about the Deadly Choices healthy lifestyles program in your school or community group, or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessments contact [email protected]
