Tim+Current+Affairs

=//__**Victorian Pride of Australia winners honoured at ceremony**__//=


 * Katherine Firkin
 * From: Herald Sun
 * September 15, 2010 12:00AM

Samuel Porter won the Outstanding Bravery award after saving the life of another teenager who had thrown himself under a train after being bashed.

Dressed neatly in her school uniform, Lillian Bell-Tanner received rapturous applause as she was named one of Victoria's most extraordinary citizens. The six-year-old won the Child of Courage section, after saving her mother's life. The quick-thinking prep was at home when her mother Natalie suffered a severe asthma attack. As her mother lay on the floor, unable to breathe or move, Lillian tried to get a ventilator, before phoning her dad. "When I picked up the phone, Lily said, 'Mummy can't talk or breathe. Can you come home, please'?'' dad Matthew Tanner said. "I got the ambulance to call Lily and they talked her through what to do. She was so calm. She helped her mum, opened the front door and waved the ambulance officers inside.'' Her father was moved to tears as Lillian received her sterling silver medal and said she still had no idea of the magnitude of her actions. After eagerly waiting to receive the microphone to address the crowd, Lillian simply said, ``Thank you everybody.'' And there was not a dry eye in the house as courage winner Michelle Errichiello received her medal. Ms Errichiello thanked her hero Ben Russell - who won the Heroism award - for saving her life. "If it weren't for him I wouldn't be here, Ms Errichiello said. In 2007 Ms Errichiello was left an amputee, after a car accident outside her workplace. A trip to put out the rubbish ended in 13 hours of surgery, after an uncontrolled car jumped the kerb and slammed her into a brick wall. Off-duty fireman Ben Russell was nearby, and clamped the femoral artery of her severed leg, to minimise the bleeding - a move that unquestionably saved her life. Ms Errichiello has become one of Australia's top sprinting hopes for the 2012 London Paralympic Games. Brighton East teenager Samuel Porter spoke of his love of Australia, as he was presented with the award for Outstanding Bravery. Samuel saved a teenager's life after witnessing a brutal bashing at Gardenvale railway station in June. He heroically pulled the victim off the train tracks, just moments before a train arrived. In his acceptance speech Samuel said he was ``deeply patriotic. ``We live in the best country in the world and each and every one of us should strive to keep it that way,'' he said. MC Jim Wilson said he was humbled to be hosting the awards, and said the Pride of Australia medal ceremony showcased the best Australia had to offer. "This function today puts life into perspective, Mr Wilson said. "The courage, the bravery, the inspiration of everyone in this room has been quite phenomenal. The event was attended by more than 100 Pride of Australia finalists, friends and family, community and business leaders including Simon Overland, Herald & Weekly Times chairman Julian Clarke and HWT managing director Peter Blunden. Mr Blunden said it was important to acknowledge Victoria's unsung heroes. "We are all so much richer as a society with people like those here today, Mr Blunden said. Iconic Australian songwriter John Williamson played a selection of classic Australian hits including Waltzing Matilda and True Blue. He said it had been an honour to perform for the Pride of Australian finalists, but admitted he had found it a bit hard to go on and sing after hearing the emotional stories of increasingly rare examples of true blue Australians. "I'm often asked what True Blue means, Mr Williamson said. "It's the same as fair dinkum, your word is your bond, it's one of those things that is becoming a bit old fashioned and it shouldn't be. "They (the nominees) are doing that solid community based thing - that was why it was a bit hard to sing.''
 * VICTORIA'S tiniest hero stole the show at the prestigious Pride of Australia awards on Monday.**

After Black Saturday in 2009, many Kinglake bushfire victims turned to each other for support at nightly gatherings in the local relief centre. But when the centre closed, Jemima Richards and Kate Riddell realised the vital role that the regular gatherings had played in the psychological recovery of victims and created the women’s support group FIREFOXES. Since the group formed, they have reached over 1000 women, mainly in the Kinglake Ranges, with regular social and self-help events. “This hideous tragedy has happened; we can’t change it and we have to find a new life,’’ Jemima said. “This will give us some light and a future.’’ Kate Burgess’ passion for helping disabled children has extended well beyond the classroom. While working as an integration aide at Essex Heights Primary School, Kate spent her spare time sewing skirts for wheelchair-bound girls, making food for sick mothers, welcoming new families to the neighbourhood, and even looking after students in the evenings to give parents a break. Recently retired, Kate spent 21 years at the school. “I like to see children with disabilities have the same opportunities as other children,’’ Kate says. “I also wanted to be able to give parents the chance to do things they wouldn’t normally be able to do, like have a night to themselves.’’ For more then a decade Ted Worthington has been providing affordable funeral services to disadvantaged families. Working up to 70 hours a week, Ted tirelessly volunteers his time and services so that families can give their loved ones a dignified farewell. His not-for-profit company, Bereavement Assistance Ltd, is the only one of its kind in Australia, and helps hundreds of struggling families every year. “The families are in tears when they come to you saying nobody is willing to help them,’’ Ted says. “The look on their faces when you say you will help, melts your heart. I’ve been in tears more then once.’’ Dancing is a universal language, so when Gary Lee needed to find a way to introduce Melbourne to international university students, dance was an obvious choice. With a group of fellow international students he developed dance group PoisE’n, which has performed in the Lord Mayor’s Student Welcome, charity balls and other multicultural events. It was so successful at giving international students a fair go in the community, that Gary has become the International Student and Youth Projects Officer at the City of Melbourne. “Lots of people have been engaged by our programs, even though most don’t have any dance experience,’’ he said. An extraordinary act of bravery saw Samuel Porter save a teenager’s life. The 17-year-old witnessed a brutal bashing at a railway station – the young victim then throwing himself onto the train lines, in a bid to take his own life. While dozens of commuters stood by and watched, Samuel followed the victim onto the train tracks, and managed to pull him to safety, just moments before a train arrived. “I could see the train approaching. It was pretty scary and it was in the heat of the moment that I did what I did,’’ Samuel says. “I’ve been brought up better than to watch someone get bashed then take his own life. I wasn’t going to stand there and watch him get killed.’’ Marg Healy began caring for injured and sick birds since rescuing a wounded sparrow as a child. She has progressed to working with some of the most vulnerable bird species on earth, including penguins and albatrosses. The Wonthaggi resident has also worked constantly to raise the profile of those who care for injured sea-birds. When the self-funded 52-year-old could no longer afford to continue her own work she began offering her time as a consultant so others could take her work further. “There’s so much we still have to learn, I don’t want people to have to go through the same mistakes I have,’’ Marg said. Ben Russell was just out for lunch when Courage Medal nominee Michelle Errichiello was grievously injured in a horrific car crash nearby. The off duty fire fighter quickly assessed the situation and clamped the femoral artery of the woman’s severed leg with his bare hand, preventing Michelle from going into shock and bleeding to death. It was a matter of training for Ben, but he said the outcome was far better than he could have hoped for. “The fact that I can see someone’s life continue because of something I was able to help them with is more than enough reward for me,’’ he said. Three years ago Michelle Errichiello wasn’t sure if she would be able to walk down the aisle on her wedding day. Now the gutsy sprinter is set to be one of Australia’s big hopes at the 2012 Paralympic Games. But her road to success has been a tough one. In 2007 an accident outside her workplace made Michelle an amputee. A trip to put out the rubbish ended in 13 hours of surgery, after an uncontrolled car jumped the kerb, and slammed her into a brick wall. “I lost a lot more then my leg that day,’’ Michelle says. “Now I’m focused on making the Paralympics and I’m putting everything towards achieving that.’’ Growing up in a housing commission flat in a single parent household, Marita Cheng says she was always motivated to achieve. Aside from volunteering and fundraising for many charities, the Melbourne University student has set up Nudge, a pharmaceutical reminder business, and Robogals, a not-for-profit organisation which aims to increase the number of girls studying science, engineering and technology disciplines at a tertiary level. “I try to have a positive impact on the world and contribute to the world in as many ways as possible,’’ Marita says. At just five years of age, Lilian Bell-Tanner is already a life-saver. The quick-thinking prep was at home when her mother Natalie suffered a severe asthma attack. As her mother lay on the floor, unable to breathe or move, Lilian tried to get a ventilator, before phoning her dad. “When I picked up the phone, Lily said, “Mummy can’t talk or breathe. Can you come home, please?’’ dad Matthew Tanner said. “I got the ambulance to call Lily and they talked her through what to do. She was so calm. She helped her mum, opened the front door and waved the ambulance officers inside.’’
 * LIST OF WINNERS**
 * COMMUNITY SPIRIT**
 * Jemima Richards & Kate Riddell**
 * INSPIRATION**
 * Kate Burgess**
 * CARE AND COMPASSION**
 * Ted Worthington**
 * FAIR GO**
 * Gary Lee**
 * OUTSTANDING BRAVERY**
 * Samuel Porter**
 * ENVIRONMENT**
 * Marg Healy**
 * HEROISM**
 * Ben Russell**
 * COURAGE**
 * Michelle Errichiello**
 * YOUNG LEADER**
 * Marita Cheng**
 * CHILD OF COURAGE**
 * Lilian Bell-Tanner**

= **//__ Summary __//** = This article is about the Pride of Australia Awards that were held on Monday, 13th of September. It talks about all the different people that have shown outstanding acts of courage or acts of kidness, through their hearts, within our own communities. I will now tell you about each one of them and their stories.


 * 1) Jemima Richards & Kate Riddel won the community spirit award. They received this because they started a new women's bushfire relief program after the old centre was shutdown in Kingslake. They have now got over 1000 bushfire effected women participating in the program.
 * 2) Kate Burgess was awarded the inspiration award. Kate received this honour because she would often help parents by watching their children after school for no cost and would always help the disabled and less fortunate children by sewing them skirts and always treating them equally to the other children. She also made food for sick mothers and welcomed new families to the neighbourhood.
 * 3) Ted Worthington received the care and compassion award. For more then a decade Ted Worthington has been providing affordable funeral services to disadvantaged families. Working up to 70 hours a week, Ted tirelessly volunteers his time and services so that families can give their loved ones a dignified farewell.His not-for-profit company, Bereavement Assistance Ltd, is the only one of its kind in Australia, and helps hundreds of struggling families every year. “The families are in tears when they come to you saying nobody is willing to help them,’’ Ted says. “The look on their faces when you say you will help, melts your heart. I’ve been in tears more then once.’’
 * 4) Gary Lee received the fair go award. He was given this award because he introduced and welcomed multicultural students by letting them dance together as a group called PoisE'n. This was successful at giving international students a fair go in the community, that Gary has became the International Student and Youth Projects Officer at the City of Melbourne.
 * 5) Samuel Porter rightfully was given the Outstanding bravery award. After a teenager was bashed this teenager felt so bad that he wanted to die so he jumped onto the railway track with a train quickly approaching, dozens of people stood and watched but Sam was brave enough to jump on the tracks and help the guy off, even with the train approaching.
 * 6) Marg Healy received the environment award because of her love towards birds since she was 6, since that age she has been healing sick birds and endangered species of birds. She can no longer afford this so she is now passing on what she does to other people.
 * 7) Ben Russel received the Heroism award because he saved a woman who had been crashed into by a car nearby. Ben who was a firefighter quickly came to the rescue and clamped her leg with his hand so she wouldn't bleed to death. The lady who had been hit by this car is the winner of the next award.
 * 8) Michelle Errichiello received the courage award. Three years ago Michelle Errichiello wasn’t sure if she would be able to walk down the aisle on her wedding day. Now the sprinter is set to be one of Australia’s big shots at the 2012 Paralympic Games. But her road to success has been a tough one. In 2007 an accident outside her workplace made Michelle an amputee. A trip to put out the rubbish ended in 13 hours of surgery, after an uncontrolled car jumped the kerb, and slammed her into a brick wall. “I lost a lot more then my leg that day,’’ Michelle says. “Now I’m focused on making the Paralympics and I’m putting everything towards achieving that.’’
 * 9) Lilian Bell-Tanner won the child of courage award. She received this because she quickly called her father after her mother Natalie collapsed from an asthma attack. Thanks to 6 year old Lilian her mother is still living now.
 * 10) Marita Cheng received the last award, the young leaders award. Marita has done lots of volunteer work and done fundraisers for many different causes. She has also created two groups, Nudge and Robogals. Robogals is a non profit organisation which helps to try and get more girls into studying engineering and science.

?Questions?
> Which one of these people would relate to you or someone you are close to the most?
 * 1) All of these people are great but which one do you think has shown the most courage?
 * 2) If you could be one of these people who would you be, and which one would you least prefer to be?
 * 3) What sort of courage do you think is hardest for yourself to show?
 * 4) In the past what sorts of courage have you shown?