Olympic
Stars for the Ridge
Six members of
Australia's national
women's basketball team,
the Opals , will model
prize-winning opal
jewellery at the Gala
Awards Night of the
Lightning Ridge
Federation 2001 Opal
Jewellery Design Awards
and Exhibition later this
month .Head coach Jan
Stirling, and players
Michelle Brogan, Jo Hill
,Emily McInerny, Tracey
Braithwaite, Allie
Douglas and Eleanor Sharp
,will be special guests
at the Gala Awards Night
on Saturday July,28,
after conducting an
afternoon training clinic
in Lightning Ridge for
junior basketball
players.
Olympian Michelle
Brogan will compere the
Gala Awards Night,
assisted by local Peter
Waterford; and guests
will be treated to an
address by head coach Jan
Stirling. 'The Opals will
model the finalist pieces
for the Prestige Award in
our international opal
jewellery design
competition," said
Jenni Brammall,
coordinator of the Opal
Jewellery Design Awards
Association(OJDAA).
"We will have
Australia's best wearing
some of the best
jewellery in the world,
by designers from
Australia, Germany,
Switzerland, the States
,Canada and Israel.
"This will be a
celebration of opal
Australia's National
Gemstone - and
recognition of these
great sportswomen who
carry the names of
Australia and of opal
onto the world
stage," Jenni said.
And it's not just the
people of Lightning Ridge
who are exited about the
visit the Opals
themselves can't wait to
get here.
"I have to
confess that the girls
and I feel quite
privileged being invited
as guests, and we all
thankyou sincerely for
this fantastic
opportunity," said
coach Jan Stirling. The
Opals' visit has been
organised by the OJDAA,
and generously sponsored
by members of the
Lightning Ridge
community, including
community organizations
(Soroptimist
International of
Lightning Ridge, the Opal
and Gem Festival
Committee); businesses
(Down to Earth Opals,
Hynagain Mining,
Lightning Ridge Opal Co);
and groups of individuals
(David Roussel and Lajla
Pedersen; Cheryl and
Trevor Hudson and Robina
and Val Boardman; the
Johnston family of Opal
Vault; and Lightning
Ridge's Shire
councillors: Peter
Waterford, Joan Treweeke
, Bob Hewlett , Sam
Jeffries ,David Lane and
Peter Lang
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