THE Kwinana Citizen of the Year for 2018 was awarded to 83-year-old Abram Ziegelaar, president of the local St Vincent de Paul.
Mr Ziegelaar was presented with his award at the City of Kwinana’s annual Australia Day event on January 26.
More than 500 people attended the celebration at Kwinana Adventure Park.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOWEbony Pavlov was awarded the Youth Citizen of the Year and the Senior Citizen of the Year award went to Max Bird.
The event was also a celebration of 48 people who became Australian citizens. There was a free barbecue breakfast, water slides, a DJ and a visit from native Australian animals.
The Community Citizen of the Year Awards recognise individuals and organisations making a notable contribution in their communities.
“Mr Ziegelaar has been a cornerstone of the Kwinana community for many years, always being one of the first to help those less fortunate,” Cr Adams said.
“Citizen of the Year is a prestigious award and just a small way we can thank Abram Ziegelaar for a life lived for others.
“We are fortunate to have so many outstanding citizens giving back to the Kwinana community.”
Kwinana Citizen of the Year Adam Ziegelaar
Since moving to Kwinana 50 years ago, Abram Ziegelaar has contributed to shaping the Kwinana community.
Along with his wife, Mr Ziegelaar has been a long-term member of the Kwinana Branch of St Vincent de Paul, providing ongoing support and stability for countless families.
At the age of 83, Mr Ziegelaar is still serving as President of St Vincents de Paul.
He has played a pivotal leadership role in planning and sourcing of funding for the current “Vinnies” building on the corner of Medina Ave and Summerton Road.
Mr Ziegelaar has volunteered at a range of sporting groups and the local scout group. His acts of kindness over the years have included visiting the sick and lonely, packing and delivering food hampers, carrying out handy man jobs, driving people to appointments and the sourcing and delivering white goods and household furniture to those who have nothing.
Citizen of the Year – Senior Max Bird
Mr Bird has been a member of the local Rotary Club for 19 years, being president twice and has committed his time to many different community projects over the years.
Mr Bird is the spearhead of the Rotary Timor project that delivers clean drinking water to remote villages. He has raised $200,000 towards this project so far and installed wells in four remote villages. Attendance of girls in the local schools improved dramatically, as these girls previously walked long distances to access water for the family before they could attend school.
Mr Bird is a key player in the Rotary Bread Run, which supplies bread for school breakfast clubs in the area and is a Director of the new Kwinana Branch of the Bendigo Branch.
Citizen of the Year – Youth Ebony Pavlov
Ms Pavlov is a passionate volunteer. Ms Pavlov gives her time to a number of organisations including Uniting Care West, Emergency Service Cadets, Kwinana Tee Ball, the Kwinana Youth Advisory Council and the City’s LyriK (Leadership, Youth, Respect in Kwinana) program.
She involves herself in community activities, regularly giving up her own time to help others.
Ms Pavlov is studying community services and education support so that she can continue to help others in the future.
MORE: Roads closed as bushfire rips through Kings Park
MORE: Catch the Super Bowl on the big screen at Event Cinemas