Help for young sports stars

MAY 31, 2016: THIS region has a number of rising sports stars and I've caught up with several in the past few weeks who have been successful in securing grants under the Local Sporting Champions Program.Competing at state and national level can be an expensive exercise for families, especially with the high costs of travel and accommodation for regional players.These $500 grants go some way to helping out with those expenses.Congratulations go to Mackay basketballers Jayde Trapnell, Lucinda Smith and Denesha Bobongie, Mackay Touch player Zoe Aitken, Burdekin Futsal players Jared Giardina and Corey Catanzaro, and swimmer Jesse Thomasson.I hope to catch up with more young sporting champions over the next few weeks.The Local Sporting Champions program is an Australian Government initiative designed to provide financial assistance for young people aged 12-18 towards the cost of travel, accommodation, uniforms or equipment when competing, coaching or officiating at an official national sporting organisation (NSO) endorsed state, national or international sporting championships or a School Sport Australia state or national championships.