Byron Bay clothing brand Thrills has teamed up with Yolŋu surf rock band King Stingray (pictured) to donate over $100,000 worth of clothing to students and families at the Yirrkala Bilingual School.
Assisted by the Stars Foundation, Clontarf Foundation and StarTrack the brand will distribute 1700 pieces of clothing through the school in East Arnhem Land, where King Stingray was formed.
Thrills marketing manager Nat Collins said the initiative builds on an existing relationship with the band.
"We were gifting clothes to King Stingray to wear on their live tour and noticed they were sharing their package with the local community.
"We soon discovered the community’s need for clothing, stirring in us an urgency to assist where we could, as quickly as we could.
"Investing in the next generation is a big priority for us here at Thrills, which compelled us to take action and send our clothing directly to those who need it," she said.
King Stingray guitarist and Yothu Yindi bloodline, Roy Kellaway said the band is thrilled to give back to its hometown.
"Yirrkala will forever hold a special place in our hearts as it’s where we grew up and where King Stingray was formed.
"We’d spend endless hours in the rundown music room and now we’re inspiring the next generation with our music, which is why this donation is so significant.
"We are so excited about the huge opportunities that the future holds for students at the Yirrkala school and are proud to be in a strong position to be able to pave the pathway forward with the help of our mates at Thrills.
"Sharing is our ethos and an important part of our culture, and our hope is that what we do at its core is allow the children to dream big and bolden their ambitions," he said.