Goya Dmytryshchak
Altona Hockey Club has been using its time in lockdown to raise money for Victoria Police Legacy in honour of four officers killed earlier this year.
A truck crashed into the four members as they stood next to a Porsche they had pulled over on the Eastern Freeway at Kew in April.
Women’s Premier League players set up a GoFundMe page raising nearly $3000 by running 159.485 kilometres – a distance of significance.
They ran 27.417 kilometres for Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, 40.942 kilometres for Senior Constable Kevin King, 45.438 kilometres for Constable Joshua Prestney and 45.688 kilometres for Constable Glen Humphris.
These distances represent the numbers assigned to each officer when they were sworn in as Victoria Police and together they add up to 159.485.
Women’s Premier League captain Bronte Kerley said the deaths had resonated deeply within the club, which had close ties to police.
“It was in the middle of lockdown and the only thing you could do was run,“ she said.
“It’s been amazing to see just how many people did donate to the police legacy charity.
“We weren’t expecting nearly as many donations, and especially when times are tough – you know, not everyone’s got the job they had.
“The charity supports all members who are going through hard times so, if they’re sick or they’ve passed away, they will continue to support the family members of that police member by paying for school fees or hospital bills or sending them away on a holiday if that’s what they really need.“
So far, players have run nearly 160 kilometres and raised nearly $3000.
The Altona Hockey Club is just at the point of returning to training but is keeping its GoFundMe page online for donations for several more weeks.
