Stepping up to help Fijian students enhance their education, the Melbourne Storm team have given their support by promising to give Fijian students books in the lead-up to their groundbreaking trial match at Churchill Park later this month.
Storm CEO Justin Rodski and Fijian-born prop Tui Kamikamica have announced that their club will support the Fiji Book Drive to encourage those donating and delivering books to students who need them the most.
Rodski says they are fortunate to be in a position to help schools that need important and basic educational resources through their partnership with Fiji Book Drive.
He says while there is a lot of interest in their game against the Knights, they want to find a way to have a genuine impact on those who need it the most while they are in Fiji.
He adds that Kamikamica has been particularly passionate about giving back to the local community and they are hoping that together with the Fiji Book Drive, they can put a smile on the faces of young girls and boys at school who need these books most and give them a better education for the future.
Leading up to the clash with Newcastle Knights next Saturday, Storm players will visit schools, local villages and junior rugby league clubs and Kamikamica will visit his home village with several Storm players.
Fiji Book Drive CEO Fiona Luth says the not-for-profit organisation aims to improve educational outcomes and life opportunities for students of Fiji through increased access to educational resources, predominantly focused on literacy.
The CEO says the work of Fiji Book Drive has been described by teachers in Fiji as nation-building, having delivered almost 300,000 books to Fijian schools over 12 years.
She adds that the Fiji Book Drive relies on donations to do this important work.
The Melbourne Storm takes on the Knights next Saturday at 2.45pm at Churchill Park.
