Cazalys has won a hat-trick of awards at the International Gaming Technology and Clubs Queensland annual awards night.
Cairns super-club Cazalys was announced as the Queensland Club of the Year at last week’s International and Gaming Technology and Clubs Queensland Awards for Excellence.
Cazalys made it a hat-trick on the night also running away with the TJS Services award for Best Football Club (large) and the Tourism Queensland Best Far North Queensland Club titles.
The club’s general manager, Jason Salecich, said the club was proud of its achievements in the past twelve months.
“Everyone’s extremely excited and a little bit chuffed with the win,” he said.
“It’s great to be recognised as the Club of the Year, to be competing with the big guys down in Brisbane and to come away with the win.”
Cazalys had to meet criteria set by Clubs Queensland in order to be considered for the prestigious title.
Clubs Queensland President Don Seccombe told the Cairns Post that Cazalys commitment to the community was a deciding factor for the award.
Each year Cazalys donates $50 000 in community grants through the Cazalys Community Fund to deserving not-for-profit organisations and individuals from the region.
“They truly serve as a role model for all Queensland community clubs,” Mr Seccombe said.
Cazalys is home to the Manunda Hawks AFC and will this year host the Richmond Tigers and Gold Coast SUNS when they face-off in round 16 of the AFL Premiership season.
Mr Salecich said that he hoped this year’s AFL fixture would match the sell-out crowd of the 2011 game between the two teams.
“To bring events like that to Cairns is a credit to Cazalys and to AFL Cairns,” Mr Salecich said.
“We were sold out last year so hopefully it will be the same again.”
Cazalys hopes that it will be able to build on these awards and continue to serve the Cairns region into the future.
“The goal now is not to rest on our laurels and to keep getting better,” Mr Salecich said
