Hunters help Hazel’s appeal

By ISAAC LIRI
SINCE the establishment of the SP PNG Hunters five years ago, the team have grown from strength to strength to be one of the country’s favourite sporting teams.
Hunters’ fans span from all corners of Papua New Guinea and even abroad.
When they’re off the playing field, they are considered as icons, a legacy that will last in the years to come as their following continues to expand.
But success in the Hunters not only comes from being a player in the field, it’s more than that, the things they do for others count, because of the joy they bring to fans and the people.
One of those touching moments took place this week when they helped a special cause.
The Hunters squad got behind the medical appeal of eight-year old Hazel Hakalitz from the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
The Hunters players autographed PNG Kumuls jersey that would be used for an auction or raffle draw in a corporate dinner planned by Hakalitz family.
Hazel was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia a sickness where the bone marrow cannot produce enough blood cells for her body to function normally causing the patient dizziness and difficulty in moving around.
On Tuesday, Hazel and father Lester Hakalits visited the Hunters training to get a picture and an autographed jersey with the squad members.
Hazel was very excited and smiling as she shook hands of the rugby league players and took photos with them. “It’s a condition that the doctors have referred us to go overseas to Manilla, Philippines, to get her fully treated so she can have a bone marrow transplant done,” Hakalits said.
“So what has happened is that we have gone into a fundraising mode since December to raise some money and we will need around K200,000.
“It costs K150,000 for the treatment and apart from that all the other associated costs.
“We’ve been fundraising every weekend since the New Year and we’ve been having smaller donations coming in in cash and kind,” he said.
“To be associated with the SP PNG Hunters and the PNGRFL in providing support is an honour and we are humbled by it.
“I would like to thank PNGRFL and PNG Hunters for their support in providing an autographed PNG Kumuls jersey for the corporate dinner.”
Hakalits said they would be travelling to the Philippines at the end of next month and would be there for at least four weeks.