This year marks 20 years of Souths Cares, a charity built on the South Sydney Rabbitohs’ long and proud history of supporting the community. Since its establishment in 2006, Souths Cares has supported disadvantaged and marginalised young people and their families, with a strong focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Today, the charity engages more than 35,000 individuals each year through programs focused on education, training, health, and employment needs; empowering young people to achieve their dreams and aspirations.
As part of our Souths Cares: 20 Stories for 20 Years series, we’re looking back at the moments, people and programs that have shaped Souths Cares.
Among the many programs and partnerships delivered over the past 20 years, there have also been some unforgettable moments. One of the most surreal came in 2008, when global rap icon Snoop Dogg paid a visit to The Block in Redfern.
Over the past two decades, Souths Cares has delivered programs across schools, communities and regions around the country. Among those thousands of program days, one more unique moment in 2008 still stands out.
This moment arrived on 30 October, 2008, when rap icon Snoop Dogg rolled into Redfern.
Snoop was in Australia promoting community initiatives connected to his Snoop Youth Football League in the United States, a program designed to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds through sport.
While in Sydney, he visited Redfern to speak with local young people about staying active, making good choices and finding positive pathways through sport. It was a message that aligned closely with Souths Cares’ work in the community.
Former Souths Cares General Manager John Hutchinson remembers receiving the call that set the visit in motion. Rabbitohs co-owner Russell Crowe rang to say a friend of his was coming to Sydney and asked if Hutchinson could help organise a visit to The Block.
That friend turned out to be Snoop Dogg.
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