9 hours ago
'Special': 475 stadium staff to don beanies for annual NRL round
McDonald Jones Stadium will be a sea of purple and grey on Friday for the annual Beanie for Brain Cancer NRL round.
All 475 stadium staff, including security guards, ticket attendants and food and beverage workers, will don a beanie when the Knights take on the Raiders at home. The bulk purchase equates to more than $10,000 raised for the Mark Hughes Foundation.
It's the first time stadium owner Venues NSW has bought beanies for all staff, having supported the fundraiser in other ways in previous years.
"When it all started to really kick off, we used to put the beanie sign out on the front of the venue and rename the stadium for beanie round," Mr Mantle said.
"That was obviously great for building awareness when it was required, but as the foundation has grown, it's now naturally recognised, so it probably hasn't got the cut through that it used to have.
"We looked at an opportunity to see how we could better reinvest that funding.
"The best way we thought we could do that was to invest in the beanies, so we've purchased a beanie for every single event staff."
Mark Hughes said he was very grateful for the support.
"To see every staff member wearing our beanies here next Friday night will just make it that much more special," he said.
The event will also be boosted by the arrival of participants on the annual Big Three trek, who walk from Sydney to McDonald Jones Stadium over three days, as well as Scott Hingston, who is running 1100km from Melbourne to Newcastle. Both initiatives have each raised more than $50,000 for the Mark Hughes Foundation.
Hughes said the beanies fundraiser had gone from strength to strength each year.
"We've come a long way," he said.
"We've learned so much, and without the support of the good people who buy our beanies and support us in different ways, it doesn't happen."
"I just see the beanies everywhere. People walk on the beach, walk on the streets. It's really overwhelming to see the support out there.
"It's all about giving hope to brain cancer. So, people wearing their old beanies, people buying new beanies, it really is special."
Mr Mantle is expecting a solid crowd for the much-loved NRL round.
"Fortunately for us at the moment, the Knights are very well supported," he said.
"We're on an average of just below 20,000 per game. So I'd expect well above 20,000.
"I hope everybody comes in with the beanie on or if they don't have already have one, they purchase one on the night. I think it'll be amazing.
"It's incredible to see how big this has gotten, and no doubt it could get so much bigger thanks to the work that Mark and Kirralee do with the foundation."
McDonald Jones Stadium will be a sea of purple and grey on Friday for the annual Beanie for Brain Cancer NRL round.
All 475 stadium staff, including security guards, ticket attendants and food and beverage workers, will don a beanie when the Knights take on the Raiders at home. The bulk purchase equates to more than $10,000 raised for the Mark Hughes Foundation.
It's the first time stadium owner Venues NSW has bought beanies for all staff, having supported the fundraiser in other ways in previous years.
"When it all started to really kick off, we used to put the beanie sign out on the front of the venue and rename the stadium for beanie round," Mr Mantle said.
"That was obviously great for building awareness when it was required, but as the foundation has grown, it's now naturally recognised, so it probably hasn't got the cut through that it used to have.
"We looked at an opportunity to see how we could better reinvest that funding.
"The best way we thought we could do that was to invest in the beanies, so we've purchased a beanie for every single event staff."
Mark Hughes said he was very grateful for the support.
"To see every staff member wearing our beanies here next Friday night will just make it that much more special," he said.
The event will also be boosted by the arrival of participants on the annual Big Three trek, who walk from Sydney to McDonald Jones Stadium over three days, as well as Scott Hingston, who is running 1100km from Melbourne to Newcastle. Both initiatives have each raised more than $50,000 for the Mark Hughes Foundation.
Hughes said the beanies fundraiser had gone from strength to strength each year.
"We've come a long way," he said.
"We've learned so much, and without the support of the good people who buy our beanies and support us in different ways, it doesn't happen."
"I just see the beanies everywhere. People walk on the beach, walk on the streets. It's really overwhelming to see the support out there.
"It's all about giving hope to brain cancer. So, people wearing their old beanies, people buying new beanies, it really is special."
Mr Mantle is expecting a solid crowd for the much-loved NRL round.
"Fortunately for us at the moment, the Knights are very well supported," he said.
"We're on an average of just below 20,000 per game. So I'd expect well above 20,000.
"I hope everybody comes in with the beanie on or if they don't have already have one, they purchase one on the night. I think it'll be amazing.
"It's incredible to see how big this has gotten, and no doubt it could get so much bigger thanks to the work that Mark and Kirralee do with the foundation."
McDonald Jones Stadium will be a sea of purple and grey on Friday for the annual Beanie for Brain Cancer NRL round.
All 475 stadium staff, including security guards, ticket attendants and food and beverage workers, will don a beanie when the Knights take on the Raiders at home. The bulk purchase equates to more than $10,000 raised for the Mark Hughes Foundation.
It's the first time stadium owner Venues NSW has bought beanies for all staff, having supported the fundraiser in other ways in previous years.
"When it all started to really kick off, we used to put the beanie sign out on the front of the venue and rename the stadium for beanie round," Mr Mantle said.
"That was obviously great for building awareness when it was required, but as the foundation has grown, it's now naturally recognised, so it probably hasn't got the cut through that it used to have.
"We looked at an opportunity to see how we could better reinvest that funding.
"The best way we thought we could do that was to invest in the beanies, so we've purchased a beanie for every single event staff."
Mark Hughes said he was very grateful for the support.
"To see every staff member wearing our beanies here next Friday night will just make it that much more special," he said.
The event will also be boosted by the arrival of participants on the annual Big Three trek, who walk from Sydney to McDonald Jones Stadium over three days, as well as Scott Hingston, who is running 1100km from Melbourne to Newcastle. Both initiatives have each raised more than $50,000 for the Mark Hughes Foundation.
Hughes said the beanies fundraiser had gone from strength to strength each year.
"We've come a long way," he said.
"We've learned so much, and without the support of the good people who buy our beanies and support us in different ways, it doesn't happen."
"I just see the beanies everywhere. People walk on the beach, walk on the streets. It's really overwhelming to see the support out there.
"It's all about giving hope to brain cancer. So, people wearing their old beanies, people buying new beanies, it really is special."
Mr Mantle is expecting a solid crowd for the much-loved NRL round.
"Fortunately for us at the moment, the Knights are very well supported," he said.
"We're on an average of just below 20,000 per game. So I'd expect well above 20,000.
"I hope everybody comes in with the beanie on or if they don't have already have one, they purchase one on the night. I think it'll be amazing.
"It's incredible to see how big this has gotten, and no doubt it could get so much bigger thanks to the work that Mark and Kirralee do with the foundation."
McDonald Jones Stadium will be a sea of purple and grey on Friday for the annual Beanie for Brain Cancer NRL round.
All 475 stadium staff, including security guards, ticket attendants and food and beverage workers, will don a beanie when the Knights take on the Raiders at home. The bulk purchase equates to more than $10,000 raised for the Mark Hughes Foundation.
It's the first time stadium owner Venues NSW has bought beanies for all staff, having supported the fundraiser in other ways in previous years.
"When it all started to really kick off, we used to put the beanie sign out on the front of the venue and rename the stadium for beanie round," Mr Mantle said.
"That was obviously great for building awareness when it was required, but as the foundation has grown, it's now naturally recognised, so it probably hasn't got the cut through that it used to have.
"We looked at an opportunity to see how we could better reinvest that funding.
"The best way we thought we could do that was to invest in the beanies, so we've purchased a beanie for every single event staff."
Mark Hughes said he was very grateful for the support.
"To see every staff member wearing our beanies here next Friday night will just make it that much more special," he said.
The event will also be boosted by the arrival of participants on the annual Big Three trek, who walk from Sydney to McDonald Jones Stadium over three days, as well as Scott Hingston, who is running 1100km from Melbourne to Newcastle. Both initiatives have each raised more than $50,000 for the Mark Hughes Foundation.
Hughes said the beanies fundraiser had gone from strength to strength each year.
"We've come a long way," he said.
"We've learned so much, and without the support of the good people who buy our beanies and support us in different ways, it doesn't happen."
"I just see the beanies everywhere. People walk on the beach, walk on the streets. It's really overwhelming to see the support out there.
"It's all about giving hope to brain cancer. So, people wearing their old beanies, people buying new beanies, it really is special."
Mr Mantle is expecting a solid crowd for the much-loved NRL round.
"Fortunately for us at the moment, the Knights are very well supported," he said.
"We're on an average of just below 20,000 per game. So I'd expect well above 20,000.
"I hope everybody comes in with the beanie on or if they don't have already have one, they purchase one on the night. I think it'll be amazing.
"It's incredible to see how big this has gotten, and no doubt it could get so much bigger thanks to the work that Mark and Kirralee do with the foundation."
