The Fremantle Dockers proudly launched the Purple Hands Foundation on Friday at the Festive Long Lunch at Crown Perth, with more than 600 partners and supporters in attendance.
The Purple Hands Foundation aims to harness the spirit of community and belonging that has always been a driving force for the Fremantle Football Club.
It has a vision of helping build healthy, united and sustainable WA communities and a mission to use the platform of sport and the power of partnerships to tackle key social issues and have a genuine impact on people’s lives.
Through the Club’s influence in the community and the support of its members and partners, the Purple Hands Foundation aims to make its mark through promoting health and wellbeing, education and leadership and respect and inclusion.
Fremantle President Dale Alcock said the Foundation drew on the ‘Fremantle spirit’.
“Today is an important day for the Club, as we proudly launch the Purple Hands Foundation, following 18 months of work - from concept inception, to officially launching,” Alcock said in his speech at the lunch.
“The Purple Hands Foundation will use the platform of sport and the power of partnerships to tackle key social issues, make our mark and have a genuine and positive impact on people’s lives.
“Three key Anchors in the club Strategic Plan are ‘Authentic’ ‘Heart’ and ‘Connection’ – we want to be a Club where our words and actions are aligned, and our approach is genuine. We want to show passion, care and our ‘heart’ and we want to maintain a strong connection to the WA Community.
“There is a culture of mateship and supporting each other engrained in the history of the Fremantle Football Club, and it is with this approach that we want to use our influence and scale for positive change.
“The Purple Hands Foundation is the Fremantle Dockers’ long term commitment to its community, and we invite everyone to make your mark, work hand in hand with us and be part of something more than football.”
Alcock highlighted a number of programs that have already been running under the banner of the Purple Hands Foundation, including the highly successful Kimberley 9’s carnival, a Multicultural Schools 'We Are Freo' program, Zero2Hero and Goals Ahead - a mental health education program for year 8 students.
The Foundation also announced a new five-year partnership with the WA All Abilities Football Association, supporting the association to deliver meaningful participation pathways, a sense of belonging and social connection without barriers.
Representatives of the All Abilities Association were at the lunch thanks to co-major sponsors Woodside, who kindly provided tickets to the event.
