The Gold Coast SUNS community program SHINE has been given the thumbs up by Minister for Education, Training and Employment, John-Paul Langbroek.

The Minister was a special guest at Metricon Stadium as a number of year four students from schools across the Gold Coast paid a visit to complete the SHINE program with a range of AFL-related activities and tours.

Mr Langbroek met with youngsters from Jubilee Primary School, as well as Coolangatta and Nerang State Schools, and said programs like SHINE were vital so school-age children can understand the value of exercise and a healthy lifestyle.

“It’s a whole of society focus for us to be speaking to kids about being active,” he said.

““The SHINE program is a great way to get kids educated about the beach lifestyle, about being healthy and active, and then also doing something else that most kids love to do; they see celebrities in SUNS footballers.

“We need to have kids having a whole variety of experiences.

“It makes sense that when we’re going to get them out and about, we want to get them in to facilities like here at Metricon Stadium, which is something where the government has worked with the AFL to deliver a Gold Coast football team, and we want our kids to understand how important that is to their lives, as well.”

The Minister is a Richmond Tigers fan, but as the Member for Surfers Paradise, he admits he takes a keen interest in how the GC SUNS are travelling.

“Being a Gold Coast member, I’m really proud to have the SUNS in my backyard, and I know all Gold Coast members of parliament are, and we follow them with great interest.”