For the Just Think match – Geelong v Hawthorn, Easter Monday – Geelong players will sport orange warm up guernseys, Just Think socks and orange laces. And you can expect to spot a few orange-speckled Hawks too.

The goal? To stimulate conversation and generate awareness about the dangers of street violence. By creating this sea of orange, we hope to get people chatting about and reflecting on why this issue is so important.

We’re pretty sure we’ve come close to breaking Twitter with all the enthusiastic tweeting and mad retweeting of the messages of support from people like James Kelly, Josh Gibson, Lil Romano and the tweeters of the Geelong Advertiser. We’ve tied several brains in knots trying to nail the Just Think Rubik’s Cube and we’ve been enjoying some sweet airtime on radio stations across the city over the past week.

And it all culminates tomorrow in a bright orange-coloured stand against street violence. Step Back Think offers its endless thanks to everyone who has been involved so far and jumped behind the cause.

Be sure to get around SBT on Facebook and Twitter and check out the story of Step Back Think here.

The players of both clubs will sport bold Step Back Think-orange laces and play with orange stumps in a united gesture that speaks of all the things our mate MB was about as a keen cricketer: fierce competition, exceptional skill and admirable sportsmanship.

In the final match of the season, Kew and Balwyn – traditional rival clubs – will contend for the Carr-Farmer trophy, named in honour of each club’s longest standing president. The day’s standout player will be awarded the James Macready-Bryan trophy.

We encourage anyone and everyone to come along and enjoy the competition, the post-match BBQ and to show your support for Step Back Think.

When: Saturday 3 March, 12:30pm – 6pm
BBQ and presentation

Where: Balwyn Park (Cherry Road, Balwyn, Melway 46 D8)

Real champs watch their mates, so take the oath!

Every month, Grill’d Richmond donates $500 to local organisations and asks their customers to decide who the money goes to.

When customers buy a burger, they receive a token to put into one of three jars representing different organisations. Whoever has the most tokens at the end of the month receives $300. The other two organisations receive $100 each.

Head on down to Grill’d Richmond to kick off supporting Step Back Think in 2012!

We are very pleased and excited to announce Katja Vella as the winner of the competition. Her poster encompasses everything that Step Back Think is about, the design is eye-catching while still presenting a message of ending street violence for good! Congratulations Katja.

We would also like to thank everyone who helped make this poster competition possible. We were overwhelmed by the support Step Back Think received during the competition that we will definitely be repeating the competition next year. It is great to see how many people care about the disastrous repercussions of street violence.

Thank you again and make sure to check out the Top 11 of 2011 Poster Competition gallery.

The Step Back Think team hope you all have a great (and safe) Christmas and New Years.

Before one punch destroyed his life, James Macready-Bryan was a hilarious, athletic, intelligent guy — an incredible son, brother, nephew, boyfriend and mate.

He’s not just a faceless name who’s been a victim of assault, or a statistic in police records. MBʼs our mate and he’s the reason we formed Step Back Think.

Share it, Like it, RT it… and stay tuned for more videos from Step Back Think by subscribing to our YouTube Channel, following us on Twitter or liking our Facebook Page. You can also find us on Vimeo!

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Also, If you didn’t catch the first of our #SBTshorts, check out below.

No one deserves it

We hear a thousand different reasons and countless excuses for why people get into fights… but the only thing that really matters is understanding that a single punch can end a life. Your excuses for getting into a fight won’t mean much if you, or the other person, ends up brain-damaged or dead.

Shannon McCormack was assaulted on 27 May 2007 where he was king-hit whilst attempting to break up an altercation between three men outside QBH. Shannon was leaving the Southbank nightspot with friends when he attempted to separate one of his friends from another man and was punched from behind, falling to the ground and hitting his head.

Shannon spent the next week in intensive care undergoing several operations for serious head trauma before passing away on Sunday, 3 June 2007.

Shannon’s father, Bill McCormack, is appealing for anyone with information about the assault to help bring his son’s killer to justice. “There’s definitely people who know this guy. Why are they protecting a coward”? he said.

Victoria Police investigators hope the offer of the $100,000 reward will encourage anyone with information to come forward. The case remains unsolved despite continued police investigation and public appeals.

“No parent should have to endure the death of a child, especially when it was such a senseless cowardly act inflicted by another human being,” Shannon’s mother, Ms McCormack said.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppers.com.au.

We hear a thousand different reasons and countless excuses for why people get into fights… but the only thing that really matters is understanding that a single punch can end a life. Your excuses for getting into a fight won’t mean much if you, or the other person, ends up brain-damaged or dead.

Stay tuned for more videos from Step Back Think by subscribing to our YouTube Channel, following us on Twitter or liking our Facebook Page.

Step Back Think’s Eliza McDonald spoke to Triple J about the severe consequences of throwing one punch. The interviews are featured below.
Triple J interview 1
Triple J interview 2

Luke has since been released from the Intensive Care Unit and remains in a “stable condition”. Our thoughts and prayers are with Luke and his family and friends.

Image excerpt from the Herald Sun on April 20th 2011.

During the week Premier Ted Baillieu announced the Victorian Government will fund Step Back Think with $800,000 over the next four years. A surprise to both you and us, a pledge of this amount is extremely encouraging to show the work we’ve been doing over the last 3 years has been to great effect.

We’re absolutely astonished, but also incredibly excited – as this boost of funding and encouragement helps us to pursue our education initiatives and media campaigns. It’s an exciting time for Step Back Think, so stay tuned to find what we’re up to next.

#thanksTed

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