A DANDENONG White Ribbon Day event was so successful that organiser Joanna Palatsides will do it all again next year.
Pop Into Dandenong was held in the Pop Up Park on 25 November to raise the issue of violence against women.
Throughout the day Victoria Police played three five-a-side soccer games. The first two, against the Big Issue’s Street Soccer team, ended two-all and one-all respectively, but the police went down 2-9 against the Dandenong City Soccer Academy in the third.
“The games keep us all on the edge of our seats and confused about who we wanted to barrack for more – the police who were fighting hard to keep up, the Big Issue’s Street Soccer team who had to face all the boys in blue, or Dandenong City Soccer Academy’s juniors who whipped the tiring boys in blue,” Ms Palatsides said.
Sergeant Craig Millar, a White Ribbon ambassador, led Victoria Police in speaking about the White Ribbon message and swearing the oath “never to commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women”.
The Big Issue Street Soccer and Dandenong City Soccer Academy Juniors also signed the oath, followed by political leaders Senator Mitch Fifield, Gembrook MP Brad Battin, and Liberal Bruce candidate Emanuele Cicchiello.
Louisa Bisby led a Melbourne Heart skills clinic for the juniors.
“One of the juniors, a young girl impressed by Louisa’s leadership, was amazed to learn that girls could play soccer too when they grow up,” Ms Palatsides said.
Ms Palatsides was also impressed at the impact Ms Bisby had on the boys.
“They learnt that women can play professionally and the boys could see the assistant coaches were respectful and accepted that Louisa’s leadership as a woman is absolutely normal and okay,” she said.
“Sports unifies people with a common language, sense of belonging and a code for life.”
Ms Palatsides was encouraged by the amazing level of support from Victoria Police and other people and organisations for her self-funded project and will be seeking grants or sponsorship to run Pop Into Dandenong 2013.
Email palatsides@bigpond.com to get involved.
