Vol. No. Vol. 2118No. 28 27
FREE PUBLICATION
A FREE PUBLICATION FROM YOUR LOCAL RADIO STATIONS 3WM AND MIXXFM
Wednesday, January January 23, 13, 2019 2016 Wednesday,
Bound by sport H
BY COLIN MacGILLIVRAY
orsham’s indelible connection between sport and a sense of community spirit, support and advocacy has shone through in Australia Day awards.
While Australia Day Awards recognise everyone from charity and emergency service workers and health professionals to community group members and event organisers – citizens who volunteer to make life better for the people around them – it is people with strong associations with sport who have dominated Horsham celebrations. It is a common thread joining Horsham’s three 2019 winners – Citizen of the Year joint winners Maree Thompson and Jeff Pekin, and Young Citizen of the Year Seb Dalgleish. Mr Pekin is Wimmera Regional Sports Assembly chairman, a life member and past president of Horsham Table Tennis Association and a volunteer for Horsham Rockets and Wimmera Whippets, sporting organisations for people with disabilities. Mrs Thompson is Horsham Lawn Tennis Club’s junior co-ordinator, a volunteer and life member at Pimpinio Football Netball Club and is involved in junior netball and tennis administration and umpiring. Umpiring is also a passion for Mr Dalgleish, who won Wimmera Regional Sports Assembly’s Sports Star of the Year award in 2017 for his achievements as a football umpire. Mrs Thompson said sport was often a binding force for regional communities. She said volunteering was important so people, particularly children, could enjoy the social and health benefits of playing sport. “I volunteer at my clubs because to keep your clubs alive, that’s what you’ve got to do – volunteer,” she said. “If people didn’t volunteer the club wouldn’t be there. You can sit around, or you can cut up oranges or coach from the sideline or do whatever there is to be done. “It’s much more enjoyable when you get out there and get hands on. “It gives kids the opportunity to have a go at things they would otherwise never get an opportunity to have a go at. “It is also the best way for kids to meet other people for a social aspect. “Kids will always have their friends at school,
but I think it’s important for them to have other friendship groups outside of that.” Mr Pekin said children also gained a sense of achievement from participation in sport. “You do get a sense of reward from what you put in,” he said. “Because we do table tennis with a lot of schools, if they walk away with a smile on their face, that’s your reward and you’ve achieved something. One thing that stood out to me was a little kid from Horsham Ss Michael and John’s Primary School who said ‘I can’t do this’, and I said ‘you can’, and the smile on his face was so wide when he did. “Giving them a feeling of having achieved something is a reward, because they’re the future – they’re the next generation.” Mr Pekin said he also loved working with people with disabilities through his involvement with Horsham Rockets. “I take a week off every year to go to the Tri State Games and it’s the best week of my year,” he said. “Last year we were in Adelaide at the caravan park for a week, and to see that many people with disabilities having fun was great. It’s about inclusion, because 20 or 30 years ago, people with disabilities were not included in things. Continued page 3
Jeff Pekin and Maree Thompson
IN THIS ISSUE • Waterway under constant threat • Sing for a cause • Sophie bowls way to world titles Phone: 03 5382 1351 Read it online: www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au
AUDITED: 22,571 COPIES
March 2018 to September 2018
Source: AMAA; CAB Total Distribution Audit for further information visit www.auditedmedia.org.au
2 1 $ r o f s p a r Any 2 w Roast beef with smoky tomato chutney wrap
•
Leg ham with seeded mustard wrap
•
•
•
•
KMART BEST AND LESS SPOTLIGHT REJECT SHOP WIDE RANGE OF SPECIALTY STORES WWW.HORSHAMPLAZA.COM.AU