Austin Cove Baptist College student Macy Cowcher is one of 32 students from Western Australia recognised for their compassion, integrity and kindness at a presentation ceremony for the Fred Hollows Humanity Award in Perth last week.
A national initiative of The Fred Hollows Foundation, the Humanity Award acknowledges year six students who follow in Fred’s footsteps by demonstrating humanitarian values towards others.
The Hon Peter Tinley AM MLA, Minister for Housing; Veterans Issues; Youth, and Gabi Hollows, Founding Director of The Fred Hollows Foundation, presented students with their certificates at the Constitutional Centre of Western Australia, before announcing the 2017 Western Australian Junior Ambassador to The Foundation, Sophie Harris from Leaning Tree Community School.
“Mahatma Gandhi once said that a nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members. If the aspirations of the young people here today and their enthusiasm, sense of service and compassion are anything to go by, then I’m certain that the future of Western Australia is in good hands,” Mr Tinley said.
The Fred Hollows Humanity Award began in the ACT in 2012 and expanded into Western Australia this year, becoming a truly national initiative with 420 children nominated across the country.
“The endless ideas and energy of young people continues to inspire me and it was great to meet some of the students who are making a positive difference in their communities,” Gabi Hollows said.
“Fred would have been incredibly proud of the contribution these students are making to society and of The Foundation for recognising and encouraging them to help others, no matter how big or small their actions.
“To all of this year’s Humanity Award recipients and to the 2017 WA Junior Ambassador to The Foundation, I offer my warmest congratulations and my heartfelt thanks.”
Macy was nominated by her teacher, Tania Tucker, for protecting and supporting two of her classmates who are vision impaired and legally blind.
“Macy will always look after these two girls, ensuring that they get to class safely and are supported during play times,” Ms Tucker said.
“If Macy completes her work early she will offer to assist them with theirs. She displays a genuine compassion and a kindness for others.”
The Humanity Award recognised students from 22 primary schools in Western Australia, including Leaning Tree Community School whose nominee Sophie Harris was named WA Junior Ambassador to The Fred Hollows Foundation.
Sophie was nominated by her school principal Lara Sampson for actively promoting autism awareness, a cause close to Sophie’s heart as her brother Sam has autism.
On Autism Awareness Day, Sophie went to every classroom in the school to talk about what is autism, living with someone who has autism and how she would like people to treat her brother Sam or others on the autism spectrum or with additional needs.
As a Junior Ambassador to The Fred Hollows Foundation, Sophie will be able to extend her humanity by allocating $5,000, donated by the award’s charity partner Specsavers, to one of The Foundation’s programs to end avoidable blindness.
Sophie has chosen to support the Outback Eye Service which delivers eye health services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote Western New South Wales.
The Fred Hollows Humanity Award will return to Western Australia in 2018.