by The truncated Ashes Test in Perth might have left officials scrambling to make up a multi-million dollar deficit, broadcasters struggling to fill three days of airtime and fans wondering what to do with the newfound time, but for others, England’s early capitulation in the series opener was a blessing.
A huge surplus of food, intended for a huge crowd at Optus Stadium as a third day of cricket was expected but never used as the game finished within two days, was donated to charities across Western Australia.
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Optus Stadium, known as Perth Stadium during the first Test, forwarded all excess food to OZHarvest, Australia’s leading food rescue service, which in turn worked with SecondBite and Foodbank WA to distribute the food to those in need across the state.
The organization said it was the largest single donation it had ever received in Western Australia.
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WA Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti praised the move, saying it showed “community spirit at its best”.
“Thanks to the quickly completed Ashes Test at Optus Stadium, hundreds of kilos of fresh food have been donated to West Australians in need,” she said. “When it became clear the game would end early, the Optus Stadium team acted quickly to minimize waste.
“Given the size of the donation – the largest the stadium has made to date – OzHarvest has teamed up with two other local organisations, SecondBite and Foodbank WA, to distribute the products to charities, schools, women’s shelters and individuals in need across Perth.
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“From stacked pallets of fruit and vegetables to sandwiches, dairy products and bread, even 450kg of tomatoes are now made into passata.”
The shortened Test match, which Australia won thanks to a 10-wicket win from Mitchell Starc and Travis Head’s brilliant century, left Cricket Australia with a $4 million deficit, even taking into account the savings from not having to open Perth Stadium beyond the second day.
The fast-paced nature of the competition has put organizers and broadcasters on alert ahead of the second Test at the Gabba, which begins in Brisbane next week.
