When more than 3000 people come to Rotorua for the Australasian Police and Emergency Services Games next year, local youth will benefit.
The Graeme Dingle Foundation has been announced as the national charity partner of the games.
The games will attract more than 3000 competitors from throughout New Zealand and Australia for the eight-day event held in Rotorua from March 4 to 11 next year.
Event director Dave Gallagher said: “The games are all about building camaraderie, promoting a healthy lifestyle, bringing all the emergency services together from across New Zealand and Australia and putting a face to emergency services for our communities.
“That is why Graeme Dingle Foundation is a great fit – they teach the next generation key values and life skills through games, activities and the outdoors.”
The foundation delivers programmes to more than 27,000 young people in over 40 communities, including Rotorua, every year.
Sir Graeme Dingle and Jo-Anne Wilkinson co-founded the organisation 25 years ago to help turn around negative youth statistics in Aotearoa.