2024 Lalor Hero Awards

Celebrating Local Volunteers 

VIDEO

Last Thursday evening, I hosted the 10th annual Lalor Hero Awards. These awards recognise the invaluable contributions locals have made to our community through their acts of volunteerism. Much of the diversity and vibrancy of our community can be attributed to their work, and they deserve to be celebrated. It is always a pleasure to join a group of people from my community who give up their time to follow their passion and imbue their passion in the next generation or give up their time to support and help our growing community. Many incredible volunteers within our community were nominated for the award
this year. Thirty-six locals were recognised as Lalor Hero Awards recipients this year and were celebrated by almost 200 other locals and former Lalor Hero Awards recipients who attended to help commemorate this special occasion.

I was joined by my good friend and colleague in the federal parliament the member for Higgins, who came down for the evening. She shared with me her thoughts about what a fabulous and vibrant community we have and assisted in talking to the volunteers and hearing their stories. And some of those stories were incredible. We celebrated the efforts of locals from cultural, community and food bank organisations, environmental advocates, emergency services heroes and volunteers in local sports. They really are the backbone of our community.

Ten years of the Lalor Hero Awards is an incredible milestone to have achieved. It wouldn't be possible without our hardworking community, who continue to nominate new volunteers each year. I want to thank them. I look forward to many more Lalor Hero Awards recipients and to ending the year by presenting the schools with their Julia Gillard and Lalor Hero Awards winners. That kicked off with the first presentation on Friday, where I attended Thomas Carr College to honour recipients Sarah Taylor with the Julia Gillard Award for 2024 and Mahalia Smith with the Lalor Hero Award, both year 11 students and both thrilled to be acknowledged for their contributions to their school community across their many years at the school.

I'll be celebrating our schools and celebrating our students across the next month. We've got another week sitting in Canberra, but then I will be out at school graduation ceremonies, talking to students and their families and celebrating our young people and their achievements and contributions to school communities and their academic excellence but most importantly the way they give to and support others in their community.