
By Sarah Schwager
PAKENHAM Upper Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteer Kelly Hicks and the muchloved Yakkerboo Festival were recognised at Cardinia’s Australia Day Celebrations last week.
Kelly Hicks was named Cardinia Young Citizen of the Year while Yakkerboo was awarded Community Event of the Year.
Ms Hicks, 21, said it was a great honour to be recognised at the celebrations.
“It makes you feel being in the fire brigade that little bit extra worthwhile now,” she said.
She thanked her parents Steve and Lisa Hicks, who have each volunteered with the CFA for more than 25 years, for bringing her into the world of volunteer firefighting.
Ms Hicks works four jobs – including cleaning at St John of God Hospital in Berwick, working at a service station in Pakenham Upper, as a nanny, and looking after a disabled boy – studies psychology at RMIT and still manages to find time to volunteer.
“My boyfriend is starting to think I don’t exist,” she said.
Ms Hicks started with the youth crew at Nar Nar Goon when she was 12, before joining Pakenham Upper CFA as a volunteer at 16.
Last year she was elected the brigade’s communications officer.
Ms Hicks has also completed an Advanced Diploma of Justice, served with Pakenham Lions, received the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Medal, represented the Nar Nar Goon brigade in state level running competitions, and was a member of the CFA strike team sent to fight the Canberra fires in 2000 and 2001.
Lisa Hicks said the honour was quite a surprise but her daughter definitely deserved it.
“She’s always been beyond her years. She sets her mind on things and does it,” she said.
“We were very proud.”
Pakenham’s Yakkerboo Festival was voted Cardinia Community Event of the Year, and was described as the Shire’s first ‘wastewise’ event with a commitment to reducing garbage and other waste.
The festival, which turns 30 this year, has long been a popular event among the local community.
Yakkerboo committee president Graeme Moore said he was proud to accept the award on behalf of the many people who put so much work into the event each year.
“Thirty years is a long time for an event of this nature,” Mr Moore said.
“The people of the community do such a wonderful job.”
Australia Day Committee chairwoman Cr Kate Lempriere said Yakkerboo emphasised bringing people together and congratulated “the dedicated committee members who present this excellent event”.