TechnologyOne pledges AUD $10,000 for Stars Foundation

TechnologyOne Foundation has partnered with Stars Foundation and pledged an AUD $10,000 donation during the WNBL's Townsville Tip Off. The campaign links the pre-season tournament with support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls and young women.

During the four-day tournament in Townsville, the partnership will launch Best Foot Forward, a community campaign encouraging players, fans, officials, volunteers and local residents to wear something yellow. The aim is to raise awareness of Stars Foundation and its work in education and wellbeing.

Stars Foundation works with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls and young women across Australia, with programmes designed to help them stay engaged in education, strengthen wellbeing and improve long-term opportunities.

The donation forms part of TechnologyOne Foundation's 1% Pledge, under which it directs 1% of profit, product and employee time towards children, families and communities in Australia. The Townsville initiative applies that commitment at a local level during the basketball event.

The Townsville Tip Off brings together WNBL teams from every state and the Australian Capital Territory. It is part of TechnologyOne's wider partnership with the league, focused on access to women's sport and support for regional communities.

Ed Chung, Chief Executive Officer of TechnologyOne, said the tournament offered a chance to extend the company's community focus beyond the court.

"TechnologyOne's iconic yellow shoes have long been a symbol of our people at conferences, community events and customer sites. Bringing them to Townsville was a natural extension of that tradition. For almost 40 years, TechnologyOne has supported the communities where we live and work, and this partnership is a natural extension of that commitment. The TechnologyOne Townsville Tip Off will bring Australia's best women's basketball to North Queensland, but we also wanted to create a positive outcome beyond the tournament itself. We hope people across Townsville get behind the initiative, wear yellow and help us shine a spotlight on the incredible work Stars Foundation is doing," Chung said.

Community focus

The campaign centres on visible public participation rather than direct fundraising from spectators. Supporters are encouraged to wear yellow items such as shirts, caps, scarves, socks or ribbons to show support and increase recognition of the foundation's work.

For Stars Foundation, support through a national sporting event offers another way to reach local communities, particularly in a regional setting where elite women's sport can draw broad public attention.

Andrea Goddard, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Stars Foundation, said the partnership would help spotlight the value of education, connection and opportunity for First Nations students in Townsville.

"Every day, we see the impact that education, connection and opportunity can have in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls and young women. We're grateful for the support of the TechnologyOne Foundation. To have a national sporting event like the WNBL's TechnologyOne Townsville Tip Off supporting First Nations students in Townsville is meaningful, and we welcome the community getting behind the campaign," Goddard said.

The WNBL's involvement adds a community dimension to what is otherwise a pre-season competition, reflecting an effort to connect elite women's basketball with local social initiatives.

Lauren Jackson, Chief Strategy and Basketball Partnerships Officer of the WNBL, said the initiative showed how sport can support regional communities while engaging local audiences.

"The TechnologyOne Townsville Tip Off is about bringing Australia's best women's basketball to North Queensland and engaging with local communities to inspire the next generation of athletes. We're proud to see TechnologyOne team up with us on an initiative that demonstrates the positive role sports can play in regional communities. It's a great way for everyone to get involved in the tournament to support a cause that will make a lasting difference," Jackson said.

The initiative also highlights the growing use of sports sponsorships to connect community programmes with tournaments and league partnerships. In this case, the campaign focuses on support for First Nations girls and young women, using the WNBL event to broaden awareness in North Queensland.

As host, Townsville gives local families access to elite women's basketball while placing a regional community at the centre of the campaign. Organisers are seeking participation not only from those inside the venue but also from the wider public through the yellow-wearing campaign.

The AUD $10,000 contribution will go towards Stars Foundation programmes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls and young women.