Lace Matthias, an operator from Peabody’s Wambo mine, and her 85-years young grandmother Shirley, were two of the most vocal Newcastle Knights supporters at the recent Voice for Mining annual family day after winning tickets to see their favourite team play.
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Entering a competition to win tickets to the clash between the Newcastle Knights NRL team and the Roosters, proved to be a real game-changer for Lace.
“I thought I’d try my luck but never thought I’d win,” she said.
On the back of their partnership with the Newcastle Knights, NSW Mining had invited mining company employees to write about why they love the Newcastle Knights, to win tickets to a game.
Submitting an entry was a no-brainer for Lace, with her love of the Knights having been passed down from her grandmother, a die-hard fan and season ticket holder since 1990.
NSW Mining together with Newcastle Knights team members Kurt Gidley and Nathan Ross delighted Lace and her family with a surprise home visit to present the tickets, with grandmother Shirley, the most surprised of all.
Lace, a proud Hunter miner, said she felt lucky to be part of an industry that allows her to spend so much time with her family.
“On my days off I get to watch my nephews play and I can kick the footy around with them.” “It’s great to have a job that I love, and still be close to all the family fun,” she said.
The Newcastle Knights wear a special orange mining jersey twice a year – including the Voice for Mining Family Day - to demonstrate their support for NSW mining families and the thousands of NRL fans that support the industry.
“The family day is all about the local community getting behind miners and our industry,” Lace said.