At the recent Volunteer Appreciation Night, the Warriors announced that Bantam parent Kelly Broad is the recipient of the Frank Napolitano Volunteer of the Year Award for 2016! President Paul Stewart made the presentation noting that, “so many of the volunteers that were on hand that night could well be worthy recipients. With this award we’ve tried to highlight volunteers that have taken on unique roles with the club and who’ve left a legacy with their selfless commitment to our players and club. Although this year’s recipient may not be as recognized by everyone in the club, we wanted our Warriors to realize what a true inspiration Kelly Broad was.”
Kelly did not have an official role with the club but this did not stop her in any way from seeing work to be done and stepping in whenever possible. Whether it was from supplying tents for our sidelines, warm and/or dry clothing for our boys or pre-game meals for our players, Kelly was on it. When she heard players couldn’t afford cleats, she bought new pairs. When she heard players needed drives to and from games, Kelly was on it and when she learned of the financial challenges that many of our young players faced, she chose to be part of the solution. She approached the club early in the season with wishes to start a bursary to financially support players in need to honour the 5th anniversary of the loss of her husband Dion. “With Kelly, it is about being selfless and being motivated to make a difference with her actions. Seeing her caring and commitment for our players and club was nothing short of amazing this year. We are very proud of the example of good will Kelly gave our players this year and couldn’t be happier with this year’s selection for Volunteer of the Year Kelly Broad.” ~ Paul Stewart, Bell Warriors President