Time of thanks for helpers

By Kath Gannaway
KEN Sanderson has been the face of the Healesville Community Market for 10 long years.
Alma Mitchell wears three hats as a member of Healesville Historical Society, the Healesville Tourist Precinct and Friends of Maroondah Reservoir Park.
Maureen Bond is a tireless worker for Healesville Environment Watch.
They are just some of the diverse collection of people who were thanked on Sunday by the Shire of Yarra Ranges Ryrie Ward representative Cr Jeanette McRae and mayor Tim Heenan for their contribution as volunteers.
Cr McRae hosted the last of a series of ward ‘thank you’ afternoons for non-council volunteers at Queen’s Park.
“The shire puts on a ‘thank you’ function each year for people who are involved with council-run activities such as Meals On Wheels and Planned Activity Groups, but as ward councillors we also wanted to thank those volunteers who work in other organisations,” Cr McRae said.
Among other organisations represented were Yarra Glen Chamber of Commerce, SES, Healesville Living and Learning Centre, The Healesville Food Co-operative, the Memorial Hall Committee and the Yarra Glen Medical Precinct Group.
Cr McRae described the volunteers as the backbone of their communities and presented representatives of each organisation with a key ring as a token of appreciation.