ONE of Gawler’s favourite sons will return to the town later this year to help launch the second-annual Hope Cup charity cricket match.

Former West End Redbacks legend and head coach of the Australian Cricket Team, Darren Lehmann, has been tapped for a special Q and A session at the launch dinner on August 25.

Lehmann, known around the world as ‘Boof’, was born and raised in Gawler, attending Gawler High School and playing junior footy with Gawler Central.

And the man who gave him his famous nickname, local publican John Giannitto, will be the man tasked with putting one of his great mates under the microscope.

Church Leader of the Riverside Salvation Army, Darren Dwyer, said it was a night not to be missed for avid cricket fans.

“This will be completely unique, he’s going to be interviewed by a guy he grew up with, a guy he went to school with,” he said.

“I think that is going to extract information that someone reading a bio would never ask those kind of questions. There will be shared experiences which could be really interesting.”

But the night means more than just celebrating one of Gawler’s sporting trailblazers.

It’s all about raising funds for vital local projects, all the while helping to change the perception of the community towards those doing it tough.

Officer in Charge of Gawler Police, Senior Sergeant First Class Rob Mowday, said the match had “started a conversation” in the community about how the town’s homeless population should be treated.

“I think the Hope Cup will drive that conversation going forward,” he said.

“As we have always said, there is three elements - getting people together and having fun, there’s important fundraising but it’s also that conversation around compassion and vulnerability which is really important.”

More than $40,000 was raised during the lead up to last year’s match, which was used to fund the ‘Lockers for Life’ initiative at Riverside.

Now fully installed, the project allows Gawler’s homeless population to securely store their belongings without fear of theft or being unknowingly discarded.

For its efforts, the match was named as Community Event of the Year at Gawler’s Australia Day awards in January.

Following on from the success of last year’s inaugural match, the Gawler All-Stars are out for revenge.

It is a largely unchanged side featuring a who’s who of local identities, including Mark Smeaton of Ahrens, Gawler Councillor and media personality Ethan White, Exchange Hotel publican Damian McGee and Claire Forgie whose family business Taylor and Forgie has come on-board as a sponsor.

The defending Gawler Police XI will be aiming to keep the cup securely locked up, but it’s expected to be a changed line-up from last year’s triumph.

To purchase a ticket for the Hope Cup dinner launch, click here.

Tickets can be bought individually for $100, or you can book a table for 10.