It was a moment that needed to be captured, as one of our wealthiest citizens, Terry Snow, leant down to talk to Stasia Dabrowski, the 90-year-old soup kitchen founder who peels vegies for our poorest.
The pair were talking at a celebration of 25 years of the Snow Foundation, a charitable organisation that has donated $18.4 million to 235 organisations and more than 200 individuals to date.
Today, we learn they are among the finalists in separate categories for this year’s ACT Australian of the Year Awards, with the winners (who will go on to represent us at the national level) to be announced at the National Gallery on October 31.
Ms Dabrowski still works six days a week and has served soup to the city’s neediest for the past 37 years. Having won the inaugural ACT Senior Australian of the Year award in 1999, she is this year a finalist for ACT Local Hero.
Mr Snow is in the running for the Senior Australian of the Year award.
The national winners will be announced in Canberra on January 25, 2017.
Mr Snow acknowledged Ms Dabrowski’s work during his speech marking the Snow Foundation’s 25th anniversary earlier this month. You can see the speech here:
Here are all the finalists for the ACT Australian of the Year awards:
2017 ACT AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR
Katrina Fanning – Community leader (Farrer)
Jessica May – Disability advocate (North Lyneham)
Ricky Stuart – Advocate for children with autism (Yarralumla)
Alan Tongue – Youth mentor and educator (Canberra)
2017 ACT SENIOR AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR
Judith McLeod – Community volunteer (Weetangera)
Wendy Rainbird – Environmental champion (Canberra)
Terry Snow AM – Philanthropist (Deakin)
Dick Telford – Sports Scientist (Forrest)
2017 ACT YOUNG AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR
Alpha Cheng – Humanitarian (Barton)
Heidi Prowse – Cystic Fibrosis champion (Hackett)
Rachael Stevens – Mental health advocate (Holder)
Caterina Sullivan – Sustainable development activist (O’Connor)
2017 ACT LOCAL HERO
David Boddy – Community champion (Chapman)
Stasia Dabrowski OAM – Soup kitchen volunteer (Canberra)
Tash Maguire – Childhood cancer crusader (Marchment)
Marg Peachey – Wildlife warrior (Kambah)
For more information on the Australian of the Year Awards visit australianoftheyear.org.au/honour-roll
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