By BRIDGET SCOTT
A DEDICATED Doveton woman took out the top award for the City of Casey on Monday when she was named as the 2015 Casey Citizen of the Year.
Veronica Hill said she is still in shock after being announced as the winner on Australia Day during an official ceremony at the City of Casey Council Chambers.
“I was sitting back enjoying the evening and thinking it was all very good,” she said.
“I never thought in my wildest dreams (I would win).”
Mrs Hill has been heavily involved with her community where she and her late husband Jim started up the little athletics club in 1972.
The volunteer is also a life member of the Dandenong Little Athletics Club and in recent years has dedicated much of her time to the Doveton Show where she has been a treasurer on the committee.
Mrs Hill said it’s been a “pleasure to work with children through various types of groups.
“It’s a joy to be able to encourage young people to be the best they can be,” she said.
“I just love that sort of thing.”
Mrs Hill said she has been involved with a “multitude of different things” but her main love would be the little athletics club.
“When my children were young there wasn’t a great deal for them to do,” she said.
“We travelled elsewhere to let them do little athletics and decided there was a need for it in this area.
“Together with my husband we helped start one, but he was the driving force.”
Other award recipients on the day included Brooke McGowan-Grills who was announced as the Casey Young Citizen of the Year, and Rita Hartney who is the 2015 Casey Senior Citizen of the year.
Joshua Beaver was named as the Casey Sportsperson of the Year, while Casey Non-resident of the Year was Mak Utatao.
The Casey Community Event/Activity of the Year went to the Hampton Park Central
Multicultural Food Festival and the Cranbourne-Narre Warren Relay for Life won the Casey Community Fundraising Event/Activity of the Year.
Jasmine Giesen was also presented with a Highly Commended Certificate.
