Drive Sober campaign: Magic opportunity for Waikato netball

Drive Sober campaign: Magic opportunity for Waikato netball centres

Three lucky Waikato netball centres have won an opportunity to host Kia Magic netball players as part of a Drive Sober campaign.

Drive Sober was launched in 2013 by the Waikato Regional Road Safety Education Group in partnership with the Kia Magic netball team to make sure drivers understand the importance of driving sober to protect themselves and their whanau from serious harm.

The awareness campaign hopes to reduce drink-driving crashes across the ‘Magic zone’ in Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne.

Members of local netball centres across the ‘Magic zone’ this year entered the Drive Sober competition by giving their best sober driving tips, with the Hamilton, Thames and Morrinsville centres each winning a Kia Magic player visit.

Kia Magic’s centre Sam Sinclair and shooter Malia Paseka will visit the Morrinsville Netball Centre on Thursday 25 June at 6pm. They will describe their netball journey, give out player tips, answer questions and be available for photos. Sessions have already been held in Hamilton and Thames with some of their representative team players.

“It’s been really great to see the netball centres play such an active role in promoting the drive sober message in their communities,” said Waikato Regional Council road safety coordinator, Monique Haines.

“They understand the importance of their players, coaches and supporters taking the message home to help protect their whanau, and other road users too,” Mrs Haines said.

Kia Magic defender Kristiana Manu’a is proud to be promoting the Drive Sober message to communities. “My message is: Always be responsible and have a sober driver, why not take the responsibility and just BE the sober driver’,” she said.

Teammate Aisha Bower said it was an honour to be part of the Drive Sober campaign: “It is such an important message that some people sadly seem to ignore.”

Magic shooter, Joanne Harten, agrees: “It’s great to get out to regional netball centres and spread the Drive Sober message to budding netball players and their families. The Kia Magic squad are 100 per cent behind this campaign and to spread the messages on a personal level is an awesome experience.”

Look out for more opportunities for Kia Magic netball fans to win Drive Sober collectables signed by the team. Just follow Reduce the Risk on Facebook and Instagram @reducetherisknz.

The Waikato Regional Road Safety Education Group is led by Waikato Regional Council, working with the NZ Transport Agency, NZ Police and local councils.

For more information about the group’s work, visit www.reducetherisk.co.nz.

ENDS

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