The Illawarra football community has rallied together to show incredible support and raise funds for the Munro-Arciuli family.
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Albion Park Football Club held a successful charity football match on Saturday at Terry Reserve to celebrate the life of Bridget Munro, who died unexpectedly on Wednesday, November 22 after suffering a massive seizure.
Bridget and her husband Adrian Arciuli had recently celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary, and had two daughters: Gracie, 3, and Margot, seven months. She was a senior producer for SBS World News, who was described by friend Sarah Downes as an "incredible woman" and "wonderful human being".
Saturday's event attracted more than 500 people to watch two sides, captained by Australian football great Craig Foster and Socceroos legend Luke Wilkshire, go head-to-head.
The match was officiated by former A-League referee and now Wollongong Wolves Football Club chief executive officer, Strebre Delovski.
And while the result of the game didn't really matter, the day achieved plenty of success off the field, with almost $16,000 raised at the event. It means that more than $75,000 now has been generated in support of the Munro-Arciuli family.
"I'm truly overwhelmed. I don't get lost for words much, but you get truly speechless with this sort of stuff," Adrian Arciuli told the Mercury on Sunday.
"I've struggled with it because it's not really for me to be on the receiving end, but having two little girls, you think a little bit differently - it's about them more than yourself. I think of it through their lenses and hopefully it's going to help them. They've obviously lost their mum at such a young age.
"But I think it shows how the Illawarra community - particularly the football community - rallies around people. Yesterday just softens the pain that you feel each day of losing your wife in such sudden and tragic circumstances.
"It's a situation that you don't want anyone else to go through, but unfortunately it does happen to people. And I think it's a testament to the amount of people that Bridget knew far and wide."
Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
