Page 536 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 23 February 2010

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In Amy’s memory, her husband, Simon Gillett, and the Australian Cycling Federation jointly established the Amy Gillett Foundation—Safe Together. The primary objective of the foundation is to reduce the incidence of injury and death caused by the interaction between cyclists and motorists, by helping foster a shared respect between them. Other aims of the foundation are to provide financial support for the rehabilitation of Amy’s five injured team members and to fund and administer a scholarship program for young women cyclists to support their sporting and academic endeavours. One of the ways the foundation raises funds to support its activities is through a series of events known as “Amy’s rides”, held across Australia, in which participants obtain sponsorship for their efforts.

I was pleased yesterday to attend a function to welcome the foundation to the ACT and to promote the inaugural Amy’s ride in Canberra to be held on Sunday, 14 March. I was pleased to be there with colleagues from the Assembly, Minister Barr and the Speaker, Mr Rattenbury.

I take this opportunity to encourage as many Canberrans as possible to take part in this very important event as all money raised through the event will help support the foundation’s road safety initiative. Cyclists are overrepresented in road crash statistics, and for this reason the Amy Gillett Foundation—Safe Together is worthy of broad community support to make life safer for participants in the sport she loved. Amy Gillett could have no more fitting legacy.

Water safety awards

Sparke Helmore corporate challenge

MR SESELJA (Molonglo-Leader of the Opposition) (5.29): I would like to pay tribute quickly—this happened last year but I did not get a chance at the time—to all of the recipients of the water safety awards which a number of us attended last year. It was put on by the Royal Life Saving Society, and I would like to commend Sean Hodges who does such a sensational job with the society.

Just going through them quickly, we had: the minister’s award for the most significant contribution to water safety by an individual, Bradley Bell; outstanding media service to water safety, Canberra Times—I believe Eva received that; community education program of the year, Margaret Roberts; community service award, Zoe Whymark; lifesaving educator of the year, Carol Gathercole; gold star aquatic facility safety award, Lakeside Leisure Centre’s Doug Read; gold star aquatic facility safety award, Canberra International Sports and Aquatic Centre’s Harry Konstantinou; ACT schools water safety awards, Farrer primary school, Wayne Prowse; Alfred Deakin high school, Rob Lans and St Jude’s primary school; and rescue of the year, Glen Scott from CISAC.

We also had lifeguard of the year, Alastair Hodgson from Dickson Aquatic Centre; the Ken (Chuck) Evans award, Isabella Denis; the Ngadyung award, Courtney Garner; the president’s commendations for lifesaving, the Canberra Labor Club and, indeed, Andrew Barr; life members, Lyal Holley, Peter Granleese and Tony Bandle; distinguished service members, Peter Castle and Lyn McDermott; and Fellow of the Royal Life Saving Society of Australia, Tony Bandle.


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