Gold rush for young fans as the Nuggets come to town

Youngsters swarmed to Essex St to meet the Otago Nuggets, including (from left) Dontae Russo...
Youngsters swarmed to Essex St to meet the Otago Nuggets, including (from left) Dontae Russo-Nance, Kimani Lawrence, Zaccheus Darko-Kelly, Ben Henshall, Matt Pyper and Jack Andrew. PHOTO: NICK BROOK
Dozens of young basketball fans flocked to Night ‘n Day Balclutha convenience store after school last Friday to spend a lively half-hour with the stars of the Otago Nuggets.

"Our fans are incredibly important to us and this is small way in which we can give back to them and show them that we value their support," Nuggets general manager Angela Ruske said.

"We love being able to connect with our young fans and leave them with a memorable experience.

"It’s very rewarding turning up to a Night ‘n Day store and hearing from parents about how excited their child has been to get a chance to meet the team," she said.

Service was head and shoulders above the competition as the national level athletes chatted to fans and served up free ice cream cones, sports gear and autographed keepsakes for a queue spilling out the doors into the carpark

"We got in touch with the schools and clubs around the district to let them know," local store assistant manager Liliana Suarez said.

"It was a really fun community event Night ‘n Day Balclutha was proud to have."

NICK.BROOK@cluthaleader.co.nz