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Coles has officially welcomed retired AFL star, Eddie Betts as an ambassador to help deliver and tailor the Coles Healthy Kicks program to Indigenous communities across Australia.

Recognised for his stellar career as a player and his ongoing advocacy for Indigenous communities, Betts will help educate and motivate children aged between six and 12 to become more physically active, eat nutritious food and develop a healthy mind and body while having fun with others.  

Coles has worked with Betts to help inspire literacy in Indigenous communities as an educational necessity.  Coles has so far purchased 10,000 copies of MY KIND, the first book in the Eddie’s Lil’ Homies series of educational stories, to be given to 10,000 children in Indigenous communities.

Betts said he was proud to continue his work with Coles and officially be a member of the team adding “I’m so proud to be working with Coles in my retirement because I know that together we can help make a real difference to Australia’s First Nation peoples.  

“When I started in the AFL when I was 17, I wasn’t able to read or write so I know the challenges and disadvantage this can cause young people. I am so thankful to Coles for supporting me to provide and distribute 10,000 Lil Homies’ books to 10,000 kids in communities all over Australia. From Ceduna to Brisbane to Groote Eylandt in the north we have been able to send out the first book in my series – MY KIND – to kids, to inspire literacy in children and also bring to life my key messages in the books that I live by – kindness and respect for one another.”

Coles Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Ronson said she is thrilled to have Eddie as an official member of the Coles team in his retirement from AFL and shares “we know that Eddie has a unique ability to truly motivate our team, our customers and our suppliers to make a real difference to the communities in which we live and work.

“We are proud to be one of Australia’s largest private-sector employers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and we know that Eddie will help us raise awareness and address the issues our Indigenous team and customers face in their communities.”

Image: AFL legend Eddie Betts joins the Coles team helping to deliver the Healthy Kicks program

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