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Capture_20To honour Reconciliation Week, the Wollongong Rollerhawks will host the Red Dust Heelers wheelchair basketball team this weekend for the annual Woolkabunning Kiaka Cup.

First played in Bunbury, Western Australia in 2014 to honour the Stolen Generations and the former Roelands Native Mission now represented by Woolkabunning Kiaka Inc, the Woolkabunning Kiaka Cup is played as a round in the National Wheelchair Basketball League.

Although 50 per cent of Aboriginal people experience disability, many are unaware of the options available to them in sports and recreation, education and employment, and the teams playing for the Cup will work together to raise the numbers of all young people with disability engaging in sports and recreation.

Presenting the Cup will be former Carlton Blues players Syd Jackson and Darryl Kickett, who will also support the Red Dust Heelers as they continue their mission to raise awareness about disability in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities around Australia.

Having grown up on the former Roelands Mission, now Roelands Village outside of Bunbury, Syd Jackson will represent the Stolen Generation who lived on the Mission. Today the former Mission opens its doors to all for healing, friendship building and the encouragement of education and employment for all, including ‘at risk’ youth and those with a disability

The Red Dust Heelers, made up of Aboriginal athletes and other Australian athletes with a disability,  are part of the Outback Academy’s program to raise awareness about disability in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Isalnder communities and to build friendships and opportunity for Aboriginal and other Australians with a disability.

Patrons and ambassadors of the Outback Academy include Australia’s first Aboriginal Paralympian Kevin Coombs and other Indigenous sporting legends including Evonne Goolagong-Cawle, Syd Jackson and Darryl Kickett.

The Outback Academy Red Dust Heelers work closely with the First Peoples Disability Network, the Australian Paralympic Committee and the founder of one of Australia’s most successful Aboriginal led healing programs Red Dust Healing.

Woolkabunning Kiaka Cup
Date: Saturday, 30 May at 5.30pm and Sunday, 31 May at 12pm
Location: Shell Harbour City Stadium, 272 Croome Rd, Albion Park

By Outback Academy
Posted: 29/5/2015