Richard Ireland
Managing Director
Ireland’s of Cairns

As a previous Shareholder and Director of the ‘original’ Taipans company involved in the NBL bid and participation, I cannot more strongly voice the need for both Community and Corporate Cairns to back the Taipans in this venture.

The first two ownership groups tried in vain to create not only a lasting family entertainment event, but a lasting image and product for Cairns, an outlet for youth, a group of youth mentors and a national sporting code for Cairns.

As the first promoters, we were successful in bringing forward stage 2 of the Cairns Convention Centre. We gave business in Cairns a step up in terms of facilities, visitor numbers and revenues that would not have been otherwise achieved for ten years. Unfortunately, there was no need in the eyes of many businesses to contribute to, or even support, the team because it was all done.

We did receive a great deal of support from many corporate sponsors, box holders, season members, the media, casual customers, the Cairns City Council and the State Government.  However, unfortunately, many local businesses remained silent and only reaped rewards, without supporting the team despite receiving both direct and indirect benefit of game night customers in the city and larger tourist visitor numbers through increased convention business.

I only hope that this time round, Corporate Cairns get behind the Taipans fully and give back, in financial support, sponsorship or, ticket purchases, some of what they have benefited from in the past ten years.

Gabrielle Whitehead
Cairns

My family have only started attending Taipans games in November and have fallen in love with the Taipans and have been to every home game since our first game attended in November. We are New Zealanders and have even found ourselves supporting the Taipans against the Breakers (for which I was a cheerleader for 10 years ago). We will definately be getting season tickets for next season should you guys be successful.

Mini & Mod Squad (Taipans)
Cairns

The IGA Mini & Mod squad cheerleaders have pooled together $500

Michelle Gibson
Cairns

I am pledging $50 on behalf one of your biggest supporters Mairi Newham she is only 11 but loves the game with a passion

Feb 6th:
Tourism Tropical North Queensland - Andrea Fogarty

We recognise the benefits TTNQ members derive from the visitors attracted through Taipans activity, and wish to wish to support the effort.

Feb 6th:
Christine Vincent & Jason Berther - McDonald's Cairns, Atherton and Innisfail

McDonalds family restaurants in Cairns, Atherton and Innisfail are proud to support the Taipans. The community spirit this great team generates is amazing. Go Taipans!

Dear Denis, The rivalry that exists between the Cairns Taipans and the Townsville McDonald’s Crocodiles is second to none in the NBL. We do not need to build it up in the media and we do not have to create reasons for the rivalry. It is something that exists when ever the two cities are mentioned in the same sentence.

The NBL has no other rivalry that matches the passion and the commitment that exists in these encounters. Players recruited to these clubs all feel the passion in their first game and it never goes away. Players who previously were from other cities suddenly become loyal adopted sons. Over the years it has driven additional ticket sales and the game on Saturday 30th of January was our biggest crowd of the year.

It will be sad to see the Taipans disappear but without the support of their fans and the community this looks likely.. Some how I think I would prefer you guys stay so please get behind your team. We look forward to beating you again and again in the future.

We play junior basketball and we want to save the Taipans so we can play for them one day!

Feb 5th:
Carissa Gibbins
Redlynch, Cairns

I am 12yrs old and I would rather give my holiday spending money to help keep our snakes...I go to every home game...LET'S GO TAIPANS, LET'S GO!!!!! I pledge $300

Feb 5th:
Christina Gibbins
Redlynch, Cairns

I pledge $300. We need the Snakes in this time of gloom and doom they have shown us what true heart is...the morale of Cairns is certainly uplifted by the fighting spirit of the snakes... You go guys!!!

Feb 4th:
Michael Denzel
Denzel Group Pte. Ltd.
Fastbreak Singapore

To the Cairns Business Community:

Support the Taipans! You won't appreciate how much they do for your city, until they are gone.

I first visited N. Queensland in 1999, spending 3 days with my family in Port Douglas. We loved the area so much that we made it an annual holiday destination, sometimes coming down 2 or 3 times / year from Hong Kong.

It wasn't until 2003 or 2004, however, that I made my first actual visit into Cairns.
The occasion: a Taipan's basketball game on New Year's Eve.

Previously, we had always spent our entire holiday in Port, heading straight out and back from the airport. Subsequently, a shopping trip into Cairns followed by pizzas at Villa Romana became a regular part of every holiday trip, whether the Taipan's were playing or not.

For two years, my son had a Taipan's team poster on his bedroom wall, right next to the one of Michael Jordan. From a professional standpoint, I have watched a lot of basketball games in cities & countries across the world.

You have a fantastic product and an extremely unique situation in Cairns. Hold on to it!

Hope to see you at a game next season,

Michael Denzel
former Managing Director, NBA Asia

Seamus McPeake
Owner - Melbourne Tigers
Director - Basketball Australia

“On behalf of the current owners of the NBL teams, may I offer my support to the efforts of Cairns Basketball to put the ownership of the Taipans firmly in the hands of the Cairns people.

We very much enjoy the passionate support of the Taipans fans in Cairns and the energy they bring to the Stadium when we play there. We believe that community support will sustain the Taipans in the new NBL, and the model proposed by Cairns Basketball is the way forward to the enduring benefit of the community and the Taipans Basketball Club.

The “new NBL” ,businesses in Cairns, and the collective spirit of the Cairns people would be poorer without the Cairns Taipans and I urge you to get on board to ensure their survival “

Toivo & Sue Puusepp
Melbourne

Feb 3rd:
Rod Cook - Townsville
(In Syndicate 2)

Feb 2nd:
Graham Burns
Basketball Queensland

BQ is proud to support the efforts of Cairns Basketball in reigniting the Cairns Taipans.

Feb 1st:
Craig Hartman
Managing Director 
Hartman Thomas Pty Ltd  

Assistant Coach Indiana Univesity Basketball 1985 - 1997
Assistant Coach UCLA 1998
Consultant Netherlands, Canadian and Korean Olympic Organisations 97-00 Consultant Cairns Basketball/Taipans 1999
Assistant Coach Victorian Titans 2000
Managing Director Romero Hartman Group 2001 - current

After 15 years of University and international Olympic basketball I was fortunate enough to make my entry to Australia through Cairns Basketball in 1999 by way of my dealings with Denis Donaghy and Brian Vincent. 

Not knowing what to expect upon arrival to Cairns I was overwhelmed by the depth of community involvement and commitment towards the development of young Australians through basketball. 

All it took was access to one training day of all ages and one sold out semi pro (Marlins) game and it was obvious the not for profit structure of Cairns Basketball was a model that the community had embraced and taken to an dynamic level of development, fun and success.

The dedication and passion that Denis Donaghy, Cairns Basketball and the community display is in my mind the driving force of basketballs thriving development in North Queensland and the reason for the Taipans conception and existence.

My basketball knowledge coupled with my experience with Cairns Basketball and the people of Cairns gives me confidence that a model of Taipans community ownership is not only what Basketball Australia and the NBL need, but one that will succeed in Cairns. 

My Family and I are excited to become part of the Cairns community through becoming a foundational member. 

Brazier Motti

As an original Taipans Foundation Member from 1999 I am proud to support the community attempt to retain an NBL team based in Cairns.

"I don't want to see my team where I played my first professional games pull out," he said. "I just want to ask all the other people to help out as well because if it wasn't for the Taipans, I probably wouldn't be here right now." "Come and join us and keep the Taipans up and running," he said.

Good Luck Taipans. It's now time for the people of Cairns to put their hands in their pockets to help our team survive their biggest hurdle ever. Afterall, All Cairns people and businesses have for many years now benefitted either directly or indirectly by the professional profiling of our region by the Cairns Taipans. I sincerely hope that the rest of Cairns has an equally long memory when it comes time to support our team with dollars and cents otherwise I fear we are "stuffed". Once again, good luck....and keep trying to find a way to keep our team on Court. History will be re-written one way or the other.