Crows forward Eddie Betts has been recognised for his outstanding community endeavours as the winner of the 2017 Crows Children’s Foundation Community Leadership Award.
The accolade, which was established by the Foundation in 2015 to recognise players’ contributions to the community, was awarded to Betts at the Crows Club Champion presentation at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Friday night.
Extremely popular with children, Betts always endeavours to reply to the huge volume of letters he receives as well as going out of his way to meet with kids face-to-face to sign autographs, encourage them and brighten their day.
On several occasions this year he has hosted Indigenous children at training sessions and provided much needed inspiration and hope to those living in challenging situations. He also regularly visits children in hospital and provides tickets to the footy.
Furthermore, Betts visited Fiji last November to help the local community rebuild a kindergarten which had been flattened by a cyclone in 2015. The kindy has since been renamed the Eddie Betts Kindergarten, as a mark of appreciation from the community, and the Betts family will visit again this year to assist with another school project.
Crows Children’s Foundation Manager Louise McDonald said Betts was extremely deserving of the award.
“Eddie’s positive energy, attitude and grace is outstanding and the Foundation and Club is extremely proud of his achievements,” McDonald said.
“We have many players at the Club who work behind the scenes to bring inspiration to those less fortunate and they all deserve acknowledgement for their generous service in the community.
“On behalf of the Club I would like to congratulate the entire playing group for their efforts this year, but particularly Eddie who has been a standout in terms of helping people in need and giving back to the community.”
Betts is in the final stages of establishing his own Eddie Betts Foundation, which will fund scholarships for Indigenous Youth to board at Immanuel College.
Winners of the Crows Children’s Foundation Community Leadership Award
2015 – Taylor Walker
2016 – Kyle Hartigan & Charlie Cameron
2017 – Eddie Betts
