Kurri Kurri Bulldogs and Newcastle Knights premiership winner Mark Hughes will launch his own charity foundation next month with a little help from his friends.
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The Mark Hughes Foundation was announced yesterday with the first donation to be made at a golf day next month organised in Hughes’ honour by childhood mates Kane Bradley and Rob Flanagan.
Hughes, the 1997 Maitland Sportsperson of the Year, has been undergoing treatment for brain cancer after having an avocado size malignant tumour removed in August.
Despite the setback he has remained determined in his fight, positive in his outlook and thoughtful of others.
“I do a few things around town for different people and always thought I needed a charity, but as it turned out a charity picked me,” Hughes said. “This is my charity now and I can’t thank the boys enough for kicking us off.”
The 36-year-old father-of-three, who now lives in Merewether, said he looked forward to giving something back to the community which has served him so well during his life on and off the rugby league field.
“I’m very excited about this and I’ve been working pretty hard to get it up and running,” he said.
“We will donate to cancer research and also provide money for families and kids in the Hunter Valley and Newcastle who are in need of help.
“Once it’s up and running it will be a great thing and for me personally, to be able to put back into the community in this town is a big thing.”
In particular Hughes, who has just finishined two months radiation treatment and will soon start chemotherapy, said brain cancer would be a key part of his foundation’s work.
“There is a lot of research going on at the moment, but certainly brain cancer could use with more funding and I will help towards that,” he said.
The Mark Hughes Foundation will be one of two organisations to prosper from next month’s charity golf day with brain cancer group Cure For Life also on the radar.
Yesterday the Coalfields crew of Hughes, Bradley and Flanagan gathered at Hunter Valley Golf Club to put the finishing touches on the November 8 event.
“I’m really touched by these boys,” Hughes said.
“I have known both the boys, Kane [Bradley] and Robert [Flanagan] since I was a kid and for them to ring and say they wanted to help me out has been a really big thing.
“I certainly want to thank this pair and also the people who are supporting it because we’ve had a great response to this day and we are going to have a lot of fun and raise a bit of money for charity as well.
“A lot gets said about Coalfields rivalry, which is always there, but when push comes to shove us Coalfields boys stick together and this is beautiful example of that and I’m very honoured.”
Bradley, a former Cessnock Goanna, Flanagan, president of Kurri Weston Cricket Club, and Hughes will be joined on course by the likes of retiring Knights legend Danny Buderus and former Newcastle player Scott Dureau a fortnight Friday.
The field of 144 was filled yesterday with a four-man ambrose competition to be followed by lunch, presentations and an auction.
A fit and healthy feeling Hughes said he eagerly anticipated the event while Bradley and Flanagan hoped to raise $10,000.
