By ANNA USHER

The North Sydney Bears are back on home turf this Sunday, and the boys have a tough one against the first-placed Panthers.

It is the club’s Women in League Round, an annual celebration of the incredible lower north shore females who keep the game going.

More than 300 girls aged seven to 18 will play in curtain-raisers early in the day, before the senior men take on Penrith at 3pm.

But the round is about more than footy. At its heart is an important cause on our own doorstep.

Every part of the day backs Mary’s House Services, a charity that shelters women and children escaping domestic and family violence.

Earlier this year, captain Coby Thomas and his senior players signed a pledge to say no to domestic violence, a first for any NSWRL team.

“This pledge demonstrates our partnership with Mary’s House Services is more than a collaboration, it is a commitment to protect, empower, and advocate for women and families facing unimaginable circumstances,” Bears CEO Gareth Holmes said.

“We are proud to stand united with an organisation creating real, life-saving change.”

Since Mary’s House opened in late 2016, it has provided almost 16,000 nights of safe accommodation.

Families often arrive in a rush, CEO Yvette Vignando said, with only the clothes on their backs and a child’s favourite toy in their hand.

On Sunday, students from Monte Sant’Angelo Mercy College in North Sydney will run a cake stall, with every dollar going to Mary’s House.

A raffle and a Women in League networking lunch in the Bears Legends Lounge will add to the fundraising.

For everyone else, it is built as a family day out.

Bean bags will line the hill so people can lie back and watch the footy. There will be face painting, a visit from Barney the Bear, and pink sunglasses and scrunchies on sale for the cause.

Bears v Panthers kicks off at 3pm at North Sydney Oval. Grab your tickets online to skip the queue, and children under 16 get in free.