By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
THERE were 33 individuals and seven local organisations recognised at this week’s annual Holt Australia Day Awards.
The awards, presented by Holt MP Anthony Byrne, were held at the Arthur Wren Hall in Hampton Park and were handed out to a range of community-driven and selfless local people.
People like Nicole Ryan were recognised for being the mastermind behind the Narre-Cranbourne Relay for Life.
Star News spoke to Nicole in November as she made the decision to stand down as chairwoman, having started up the relay about 12 years ago after her father, Clive, was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Looking to begin her own cancer fund-raiser Nicole set the wheels in motion to run her own event, and by 2012 the Narre-Cranbourne Relay for Life had begun with Nicole, her sister and her dad making up the three-person committee.
After four years and now with 15 people on the committee, the project has raised more than $300,000.
Afghan-born Shabnam Safa, 21, was also recognised at the awards following her migration to Australia in 2009.
In 2014 Shabnam, who was previously the Australia Study Tour recipient and the 2012 Casey Youth Ambassador, founded the Noor Foundation, which aims to help migrants and refugees to feel at home in Australia.
Through the Yana Program, which the foundation runs, volunteers tutor new migrants to help them pass their citizenship test.
The Young Veterans RSL were also awarded at the event, a group which was started by three veterans who felt there was a lack of social welfare groups for ex-serving defence members across the country.
The Young Veterans got involved with as many RSL groups as possible, including Dandenong, and set about visiting schools, conducting presentations and raising contemporary veteran issues.
Mr Byrne praised all the award recipients.
“I congratulate all those receiving a Holt Australia Day Award for their exemplary community spirit and endless hours of volunteer work making our community a better and safer place to live,” he said.
“These people do not get the same accolades as celebrities in the media but in their own quiet Australian way they do tremendous work and make other people’s lives better.”
