SHIRE of Augusta Margaret River councillors admired a signed photograph gifted by the Perth Wildcats last week.
The image features the National Basketball League team at Margaret River’s Mammoth Cave, snapped by Christian Bishop during their visit to the region last September for a pre-season clash with Melbourne United.
Shire chief executive Gary Evershed said the image was very popular on social media and the Wildcats requested its use for a team photo. In return, they sent back three signed hardcopies.
One has been placed at the Shire Administration Centre, one in the Margaret River Recreation Centre and one was gifted to the Augusta Margaret River Tourism Association.
Mr Evershed explained how the photo came about.
“Council contributed $10,000 to the Perth Wildcats to secure a 2014 NBL pre-season challenge for Margaret River,” he said.
“The funding also secured the Wildcats team members for skills workshops and stakeholder engagement opportunities.
“As AMRTA contributed $2500 to the Shire to assist with hosting fees, the Shire negotiated the placement of the Perth Wildcats in Mammoth Caves to promote the caves and Margaret River Region as a tourism destination.”
The pre-season challenge turned out to be a success as the Wildcats came back from 15 points down to defeat Melbourne United 72-71 in front of a large crowd at the Margaret River Recreation Centre.
See photos from the game here.
