Players, families and supporters dressed in purple during a previous Moree Hockey Epilepsy Awareness Round. This year’s event will raise funds for Epilepsy Action Australia. Photo: Sasha Eastons
Moree’s hockey fields at Ron Harborne Oval will turn purple on Saturday, August 1, as players, families and supporters dress for the club’s annual Epilepsy Awareness Round.
Tutus, ribbons and balloons will add colour around the grounds as Moree Hockey raises funds for Epilepsy Action Australia and helps bring greater visibility to a condition many people live with without others necessarily knowing.
Moree Hockey president Sally Winter said the round provided an opportunity to improve understanding of epilepsy.
“There are really a lot of people around with epilepsy that you wouldn’t know,” she said.
Purple is the colour associated with epilepsy awareness, and everyone attending the round is encouraged to wear it.
“There’ll be plenty of purple on the field,” Ms Winter said.
“There’ll be tutus, there’ll be ribbons, there’ll be balloons, so we’ll be having a good time.”
The day will also include a fundraising barbecue, with all profits and public donations going to Epilepsy Action Australia.
B&W Rural has loaned the barbecue to the club, while Young Aggies will cook bacon and egg rolls and sausage sandwiches from about 8.30am throughout the morning’s matches.
“If you are in the position to help, donate or buy a bacon and egg roll, we’d love to see you,” Ms Winter said.
Epilepsy Action Australia describes itself as the national authority on epilepsy and says it supports more than 270,000 Australians living with the condition.
For more than 70 years, the organisation has provided specialist services to individuals and families while working across health, disability, education and community systems.
Its epilepsy nurses provide guidance, seizure management planning, education and practical support. The organisation also helps parents, teachers, employers, carers and support workers respond safely and confidently to seizures.
Its services include the National Epilepsy Line, a telephone and telehealth service answered by specialist epilepsy nurses and available across Australia on 1300 37 45 37, or 1300 EPILEPSY.
Epilepsy Action Australia also runs Seizure Smart Schools and MyEpilepsyKey, and provides seizure first-aid videos, emergency medication training, family webinars, advocacy and online communities.
The awareness round forms part of a local hockey competition that has operated in Moree for more than 30 years.
The club now runs a four-team mixed competition for male and female players aged 12 and over, with matches played on Saturday mornings during winter.
Ms Winter said player numbers had declined over time, but the games remained closely contested.
“There are no games that become a whitewash,” she said.
“They’re all very much competitive and they’re good to watch.”
The club also plays Inverell once or twice each year, giving Moree players an opportunity to compete on synthetic turf and maintain a social connection with another regional hockey community.
Five rounds remained before finals at the time of the interview, with all four teams progressing into the finals series.
Ms Winter said the closeness of the competition meant ladder position did not always predict which team would reach the grand final.
“Often we’ve found that the team that hasn’t necessarily performed as well during the rounds manages to make it through to the grand final,” she said.
On Saturday, August 1, however, attention will extend beyond the competition table.
The Epilepsy Awareness Round will be held during the morning’s Moree Hockey fixtures at Ron Harborne Oval. Spectators are encouraged to wear something purple and support the fundraising barbecue from about 8.30am.
