Friday night's NBL battle against the Canterbury Rams is looking as a crucial one for the SIT Zero Fees Southland Sharks, on and off the court.
Each year the team selects one home game at ILT Stadium Southland as its Annual Charity Game which will this year benefit Hospice Southland.
Sharks General Manager Jill Bolger said choosing Hospice was an easy decision.
"We've been able to support a number of worthy causes over the years and with Hospice celebrating its 25th anniversary this year it was an obvious choice," she said.
"It's another chance for the Sharks to give back to the community and we are lucky that our Sharks Fans always give generously."
Hospice Southland Chief Executive Officer Andrew Leys was delighted with the support.
"We are so fortunate to have such wonderful support from the community. We require around $2 million to deliver the services we do each year and we never forget that it's down to the community support we receive," he said.
"The focus is often on the in-patient services we provide but 90 percent of what we do is assisting patients in the home and care for patient's loved ones," he said.
A Gala Dinner is to be held at Ascot Park Hotel on 22nd July to mark the 25 years. For more information on Hospice Southland visit their website.
Collectors will be at the Sharks v Rams game accepting donations on Friday night. The top four clash tips off at 7pm.
