Volunteers from around the Peel region were acknowledged at the Peel Volunteer Resource Centre’s awards breakfast on Tuesday morning.
About 80 guests from around the region attended the event, which was the 11th annual Peel volunteering award, timed to coincide with International Volunteer Day which is known as Thank a Volunteer Day in Western Australia.
There were four finalists for Peel Volunteer of the Year: Robert Wilson from the Shire of Murray, John Hiller from the Waroona Bowling and Social Club, Manny Milonas from Men of the Trees and Phyllis O’Shea from the Peel Seniors Recreation Council.
Manny Milonas took out the top award with Michele Frost receiving the Peel Youth Volunteer of the Year 2017 and Waroona Volunteer Fire and Emergency Service named as Peel Community Group of the Year (a new category for 2017).
The volunteering effort put in by Mr Minolas for Men of the Trees has seen the supply of more than 10,000 plants every year to the local region for revegetation and beautification projects.
He was an honorary life member of Men of the Trees WA in 2016.
Ms Frost was acknowledged for her work with the Peel Community Legal Service, a free advisory service to those on incomes of under $50,000.
Waroona Waroona VFES was praised for its dedication to battling the 2015 Waroona bushfire along with the 2016 Waroona-Yarloop bushfire less than a year later.
For more information go to peelvolunteer.org.au.
