A crowd of more than 100 people gathered to celebrate the incredible achievements of Macedon Ranges young people.
Macedon Ranges council’s annual Youth Awards were held at Kyneton Town Hall on October 6, held live for the first time in three years.
Local bands The Mods, The Lydians and Gisborne Secondary College Performing Arts team played to the crowd.
Competition was tight, but there could only be one winner in of the award categories.
Hannah Visagie, 12, took out the Willpower award, celebrating her advocacy work as a child ambassador for the Australian Sickle Cell Advocacy Inc. She’s one of 300 million people across the world who live with the rare disease, overcoming significant adversity.
For her caring nature and for supporting her friends through grief and difficult times, as well as her volunteer work at an aged care facility, Claire Flisar, 12, won the Good Deeds award.
The Pure Imagination award was taken home by 17-year-old William Barclay, for overcoming barriers and teaching himself to play the electric guitar. He has a Sacred Heart College music scholarship and came third in the council’s Battle of the Bands in The Seventh Circle.
“[Thank you] to everyone who has supported me on my journey…. A big thank you also to the Macedon Ranges council Youth Team for holding such a spectacular night. I was lost for words when I won this awesome award,” William said.
Role Model and netball community advocate Hayley Alexander, 14, won the Nicely Played award, for her involvement in the Woodend Junior Football and Netball Club as vice-captain, coach of Under-13s and as an umpire.
For his commitment to the Kyneton Junior Fire Brigade and use of technical skill to make improvements to the brigade, Nic Hanna, 17, won the Skilling It award.
“It was a great honour to be recognised by the members of my brigade and it was again an honour to be recognised by the council for what I do. I didn’t ever expect an award or anything in return for the work I do in the brigade and community but it felt good that my work was acknowledged and appreciated,” Nic said.
Eighteen-year-old Seth Scott scored the Well Aware award for implementing a fundraising program for the Leukaemia Foundation as part of his VCAL community based project, and raised more than $4000.
