The company behind major sponsor OAK Plus is pouring a whopping $100,000 into Penrith’s community development foundation, Panthers on the Prowl.
Not only has Lactalis Australia made the generous donation to the two-decade-old charity, but OAK Plus is also forgoing the front of jersey sponsorship to Panthers on the Prowl for this Saturday evening’s Battle of the West trial match against Parramatta at BlueBet Stadium.
It’ll mark just the second time OAK has forgone their front of jersey sponsorship since they removed it from Penrith’s ANZAC jersey back in 2015.
General Manager – Beverages and Milk at Lactalis Australia, Mal Carseldine, said he was proud to support the Penrith Panthers and Panthers on the Prowl program.
“OAK has been a proud partner of the Penrith Panthers for 11 years now, and over this time we’ve seen first-hand the positive impact the Panthers have had on their local community and beyond,” he said.
“Nothing is more important to OAK Plus than community. Like the Panthers, we have a passionate fan-base that is made up of a million OAK Milk lovers – young, old and from different and diverse backgrounds.”
“So, we feel honoured to be in this position to support Penrith Panthers and the Prowl with a mission to help inspire more people in 2022 both on and off the field and beyond,” he said.
Operating out of the western grandstand at BlueBet Stadium, Panthers on the Prowl has had a significant impact on thousands of young people and their families through various educational and community programs.
Long-time Panthers on the Prowl General Manager, Brad Waugh, said the $100,000 donation and front of jersey sponsorship will raise much-needed awareness for the Prowl and fund vital youth programs and initiatives for the local community.
“The Prowl has been operating in the community for 20 years and we have touched the youth of the community in a very positive and tangible way over those last 20 years,” he said.
“You have no idea how much impact this donation has on our ability to plan, expand and strengthen our community programs.”
Nathan Taylor
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender's Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.