SUPPORTING & ASSISTING WA ATHLETES & COACHES
Athlete & Coach Scholarship Fund is a registered project of the Australian Sports Foundation (ASF). Donations of $2 and over made to the ASF in support of the Wally Foreman Foundation are tax deductible. Donations may be made at any time during the year.
Kingsley Football Club's men this weekend stormed home by a metre to claim the 2019 Wally Foreman Corporate Canter in front of an Optus Stadium crowd, just 30min from bouncedown between the West Coast Eagles and Adelaide Crows.
Kingsley's men, who were joined in the race by a team of the football club's women, took home the coveted Gold Baton in what was the third consecutive year the Corporate Canter has been run as a curtain-raiser to a West Coast fixture.
The Wally Foreman Foundation extends its sincere thanks to the Eagles for the club's generosity in hosting the Foundation's flagship event, which enables the provision of scholarships each year to aspiring WA athletes and coaches.
The Corporate Canter is the Wally Foreman Foundation's predominant fundraising event and is an annual light-hearted relay aimed at drawing out the friendly competition of the corporate and community sectors.
A group of eight teams, ranging in experience, age and gender competed the 4x100m race along a wing of Optus Stadium, soaking in the atmosphere and unique experience minutes from bouncedown between West Coast and Adelaide.
This year's Canter was a special one for a group of three teams fielding teens and younger, with the excitement of the unique opportunity clear from the smiles on their faces.
Kingsley was locked in a tight battle throughout the race with Clayton Utz, before the Cats edged out the lawyers on the final leg.
Shadforth Financial Group came in a close third, improving two places on its 2018 performance.
Kingsley's men ensured the mounted Golden Baton would hold pride of place at the football club, while all competitors took home their green race batons as mementos of the occasion, before taking their seats to enjoy the game.
The race was shown on the stadium's large screens, with commentary provided by Macquarie Radio and West Coast on-ground announcer Karl Langdon.
Wally Foreman Foundation Chair Glen Foreman said: "This was another fantastic event and I thank West Coast for again hosting us, and the participants for generously giving their time and support.
"It's genuinely one of the most rewarding times of the year for the Foundation, alongside the presentation of scholarships, when we get to see the fun and excitement all over the faces of the participants.
"Dad was passionate about sport and he loved it for the fun and enjoyment that it should entail, as well as the competitive spirit and aspirations it drives at the elite level.
"So it's fitting that a good-natured, fun event like the Canter, ensures we have the funding required to issue scholarships, all under the name Wally Foreman Foundation.
"I thank everyone involved - from the Eagles and participants, to the Foundation Board members - for helping to keep dad's memory and legacy alive."
The Wally Foreman Foundation welcomes enquiries from organisations interested in submitting a team for inclusion in the 2020 Wally Foreman Corporate Canter.
Spaces fill quickly, so please contact Foundation chair Glen Foreman (foreman.glen@gmail.com) for nominations or further information.
WFF aspires to continue the work of respected sports broadcaster and administrator Wally Foreman, who was a strong and tireless advocate for West Australian athletes and coaches, before his passing in 2006 from a heart attack.
The Foundation, through its activities and the generous support of the community, raises funds to support athletes and coaches who are not covered by existing scholarships in their pursuit of sporting excellence.
The tremendous and ongoing support of organisations such as the Carbine Club, an inaugural and consistent benefactor, and the West Coast Eagles through its hosting of the Wally Foreman Corporate Canter for the past three years, has helped the Foundation issue 45 scholarships totalling $150,000 since its inception.
That assistance has helped several recipients go on to become national and world champions, Commonwealth and Olympic medallists.
Scholarships are presented at the WA Institute of Sport annual awards.
Applications for this year's round of scholarships will open Monday 16 September 2019.
Athlete & Coach Scholarship Fund is a registered project of the Australian Sports Foundation (ASF). Donations of $2 and over made to the ASF in support of the Wally Foreman Foundation are tax deductible. Donations may be made at any time during the year.