The Hume Football-Netball league will stage its inaugural mental health awareness round this weekend.
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Howlong Football-Netball club annually holds an Odd Socks Day in memory of late Howlong netballer Aimee Koehler, to raise money for Headspace Albury Wodonga.
Hume league president Phil Bouffler said this year all clubs would follow the lead of the Spiders and help raise funds and awareness of mental health.
"Howlong have been having an Odds Socks Day for a few years now where all the grades of football and netball were odd socks," Bouffler said.
"It's part of a fundraiser where the money is then given to one of the mental health agencies.
"Howlong requested permission to do it again this year and we thought we need to do this together as a league and not just Howlong.
"It's a great initiative by Howlong so this year for the first time the whole league is involved.
"Going forward, we are going to make it an annual event with round 4 the mental health awareness round.
"The home club has a fundraiser on the day and then each individual club can then choose which mental health agency they want to donate the money to.
"Every club will take turns hosting every second year because the home clubs this year will be the away clubs next year."
SHINING A LIGHT
Bouffler said the purpose of the round is to promote awareness and conversation around mental health within your community.
By shining a light on the importance of mental health, he hopes to help reduce the stigma attached.
"Every year suicide is an issue and it seems to be younger people not only in rural areas but the cities as well," he said.
"The Hume league captures a large area and a lot of young people, so it is just about raising awareness if you are having some mental battles, you can talk to somebody about it.
"So it just shines a bit of light on the issue and as a league we need to be more proactive."
