The Melbourne Cricket Club wishes to congratulate Bachar Houli on his selection as the winner of the 2020 Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award.
Presented at last night’s Brownlow Medal event, Houli was recognised for his dedication to enhancing inclusiveness and commitment to community, in particular through the work of the Bachar Houli Foundation (BHF).Founded by Houli, the BHF aims to support social cohesion by fostering young Muslims with a sense of belonging through sport, employment opportunities and education programs.
The MCC Foundation became a founding partner of the Bachar Houli Foundation in July 2019 and is proud to help them deliver their unique programs which have engaged more than 30,000 young men and women.
Some of the initiatives implemented by the BHF include Ramadan events to help educate and introduce wider audiences to elements of Muslim culture, leadership and employment programs, programs designed to engage at-risk youth and elite football camps.
In addition to his work with the BHF and Muslim community, in 2020 Houli also visited those affected by the summer bushfires in the Gippsland area, providing support to locals in a variety of ways – from speaking engagement and working with local agencies, to cooking and distributing meals to front line workers and taking photos with residents and the 2019 Premiership Cup.
Bachar Houli said he was immensely proud to receive with the 2020 Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award.
"It is an honour to be rewarded with such recognition and I want to thank the family of Jim Stynes and the foundation for this honour,” he said.
“I will never stop what I’m doing for the community as it's something I am passionate about and I will continue for many years after football."
Supported by Telstra, the AFL and the Jim Stynes Foundation, as the recipient of the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award, Houli will receive $40,000 which will be donated to the charity or community program of his choice.
The award has become the pinnacle of recognition of philanthropic achievements within the AFL community, named in honour of the late former Melbourne Football Club President and player Jim Stynes.
The 2020 runners-up included Tayla Harris (Carlton Football Club), Lauren Spark (Western Bulldogs Football Club) and Justin Westhoff (Port Adelaide Football Club).
Banner image: Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.