DA Day Success

Saturday 22nd October 2016 was our Disability Awareness Day (DA Day), with the centrepiece being the Pars’ match against Hibernian.

A fantastic total of just over £6000 was raised for the fund to get wheelchair access to the 1st Floor of the Main Stand.

The special matchday programme contained articles emphasising the message “See the Person, not the Disability”, while in the Purvis Suite, Dave Nugent (vice Chair of Dunfermline Athletic Disabled Supporters’ Club) explained the aims of DA Day, and interviewed local Paralympian (and Pars fan) Craig Rodgie.

DADSC volunteers, wearing distinctive hi-vis vests, distributed flyers to spectators as they entered the ground, and a bucket collection, along with merchandise sales from the pop-up DADSC stall in the Norrie concourse, raised a remarkable £2825.

The teams were then led out by wheelchair users Alistair Carstairs (for Dunfermline) and Mathew Moir (for Hibs). For their warm-up, the Pars wore tops specially-badged with the DADSC logo, and their matchday shirts were unique to this match, with the DADSC logo embroidered onto them. The shirts and tops have been auctioned/sold, raising a further £3000.

At half-time, the 50:50 draw was made on the viewing platform by Manchester-based wheelchair user Colin Johnston, while disabled children from the Pars Foundation`s Rising Stars programme took part in an emotional penalty kick demonstration.

Paralympians Craig Rodgie and Scott Quin were then joined in a trackside parade by Special Olympics athletes from West Fife Community Support Services.

Both sets of fans fully supported DA Day, and gave huge applause to all the disabled participants, in particular the Rising Stars.

There were many individuals who made DA Day a success, and both DAFC and DADSC also acknowledge the assistance given by The Pars Foundation, Hibernian FC, Hibernian Disabled Supporters` Association (HDSA), the Scottish Disabled Supporters` Association (SDSA), West Fife Community Support Services, the Centre for Access to Football in Europe (CAFE) and the FARE Network.