Straight off the back of a busy Round 1, the MCC was pleased to welcome another influx of visitors, with the ground playing host to the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation’s CALDplay Gala.
CALD is an acronym for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse. CALDplay is a free program that provides people who have newly arrived to Melbourne the opportunity to engage in sport as a means to improving their English, developing skills and increasing social participation.
Working alongside English Language Schools in the Western Suburbs, participants learn and try a different team sport in each school term.
On Tuesday 18 March more than 400 kids and adults involved in the CALDplay program descended on the MCG for a range of activities including exploring the Australian Sports Museum, taking a tour of the ‘G and putting their developing football skills to the test in Yarra Park.
For the majority of the participants this was their first visit to the MCG, and with the opportunity to step onto the edge of the hallowed turf there is no doubt it was a memorable one!
The MCC, through the MCC Foundation, has proudly supported CALDplay since 2023.
The MCC Foundation recently confirmed a further three years of support for the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation program, taking the partnership through to 2027.