Staff at Aruma disability services were greeted by a very special presenter for their employee of the month awards on Tuesday
Former Newcastle Knight, Owen Craigie, celebrated with the service's packaging and warehouse team as they were presented with certificates for embodying Aruma values.
Cheers of delight ran out from the "Knights-obsessed" crowd as six award recipients shook hands and scored photos with one of the favourite ex-players. Autographs were in order all-around.
Service delivery manager at Aruma's packaging site, Graham Shearman, said it "really meant a lot" to employees that Mr Craigie supported them.
And presentations did not stop at colleagues. Mr Shearman said he "stumbled" across a framed memorabilia dedicated to Mr Craigie's playing days while cleaning out a storage cupboard.
"We felt it was important to hand these back to Owen," Mr Shearman said before presenting the metre-long frame to Mr Craigie.
The 45-year-old has spent much of his post-football career working in disability and said Aruma was one of the best supported services he had seen.
"They really do a lot here," he said.
More than 250 people with a disability are employed at Aruma, based at Lambton and Warabrook. Commercial customers benefit from packaged products, laundry and metal goods delivered from the sites.
About 7,000 Newcastle Knights members have a disability - a figure Mr Craigie said was one of the highest in the league.
"It is really good to see," he said. "It is special to people."
Supported employees who won awards this month are Joe Sarno, Debbie Buckley, Jane Daldry, Kathy Parsons, Riley Briggs, and Gerald Kominatos.
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