Brothers go pink for a good cause

The McGrath Foundation’s Margie Meras receives a cheque from Glenn Flatley, Steven Phythiam captain, Kevin Pratt, Kevin Bawden, Bruce Pratt, Arthur Downie, Michael Black and Graham Hines of the Brothers Pink cricket team.

THEIR man brand has been forever tarnished, but Brothers Pink players have no regrets about their brightly coloured uniforms.

The division four premiers attracted plenty of sledging on Salter Oval for a uniform which included hot pink hats, sweat bands, scarves and bandanas.

For Brothers Pink all-rounder and spearhead of the team’s breast cancer drive Michael Black, being the butt of a season’s worth of jokes was a small price to pay to raise $3000 for not-for-profit organisation the McGrath Foundation.

“There was a bit of slandering going on but it was all in good fun and it’s all part of the game,” he said.

“It was well worth it when we counted up the money.”

Questions about the gender of Brothers Pink players proved popular fodder for opposing teams, but the breast cancer campaigners had the last laugh emerging victorious from the grand final against Across The Waves Blue.

The majority of the money was raised by a fine system which penalised players for embarrassing moments like ducks, golden ducks and dropping catches.

Opposing cricket teams also dipped into club coffers to raise money for their brightly coloured rivals.

Black works at the Bundaberg Hospital as a nurse and has seen first hand the devastation breast cancer can wreak in sufferers and their families.

“It’s a pretty cruel disease and it’s not just the patients who are affected it spills down to affect their familes and friends too.”

Black handed a cheque to Bundaberg McGrath Foundation breast nurse Margie Mears yesterday and hoped to repeat the favour after the cricket season next year.

“The boys will be back in pink and we’ll be aiming to go one better and raise more money next year,” he said.