FOR more than a decade, Member for Rankin Jim Chalmers has held the Local Legends Awards program to honour locals “making a difference” in the community.
The 2025 awards ceremony was the biggest one yet, held at the Calamvale Hotel and attended by a record 150 people, including 46 recipients.
“Those who make the greatest contribution in our community are often some of the most modest,” Dr Chalmers said.
“These awards are designed to give people who are making a difference the recognition they deserve.
“Our community thrives on the kindness, compassion and commitment of our legends – we can’t thank them enough for what they do.”
The Local Legends of 2025 are:
- Zeru Bokretsion from Logan Central is the President of the Eritrean Community Association and has been assisting his community with language and cultural classes for our young people
- Mickey Webb from Daisy Hill has been an Auslan interpreter for the deaf community for years now and is helping teach the next generation of interpreters.
- Jo Pressick from Kingston is a regular at the Kingston East Neighbourhood Group helping coordinate the Emergency Relief team and fundraising efforts for the centre.
- Coralyn Cowin has been the curator of the Logan City Historical Museum Society since 1993 and is the driving force behind the refurbishment of the museum.
- Daniel Nalborczyk and the CQ University School of Chiropractic Health for delivering over 1000 free treatments from student interns since 2022.
- Nasreen Noorudeen from Underwood is an outstanding leader in our Islamic women’s community helping to bridge cultural gaps and empower all around her.
- Pastor Joshua Karanges from the Hope Centre Slacks Creek runs the youth program which provides a safe space for our young people to make friends and be themselves.
- Zam Lam Vung from the St Pauls Community Hub has been cooking up a storm at the breakfast club for the past five years.
- Nine-year-old Patrick Meszaros from Daisy Hill has been building Lego toys for children in hospital over Christmas for the past few years.
- Jim O’Dea from Hillcrest has been volunteering at Lighthouse Care for 10 years, affectionately known as Mr Fix It because of all the projects he runs.
- Sakun San from Marsden has been a volunteer at the Cambodian Community of QLD for years helping their senior members with transport and making sure they don’t miss medical appointments.
- Svay Nov is a volunteer at the Cambodian Community of QLD helping with translation services and generally giving people a hand with odd jobs around their houses.
- Lance McGrady is a mentor to First Nations youth across our community in various roles from the Kung Foo Club to the Nutcha ATSI Corporation.
- Helene Hutson from the Logan View Club has made it her mission to produce, collect and distribute toiletries for women in need.
- Jasmin Rogers from Slacks Creek goes above and beyond to ensure people in our community gain the skills they need to secure meaningful employment.
- Stewart Rae from Heritage Park is the President of the Greenbank RSL Sub-Branch and is a staunch advocate for veterans’ services in our community.
- Nicole Romans from Hillcrest has been nominated by a range of different veteran groups in our community for her tireless work in the veteran’s community.
- John & Jill Devaus from Daisy Hill Neighbourhood Watch have been proactively educating the community on crime prevention and safety for decades.
- Graham McCabe from Rochedale South is the President of the Rochedale Seniors group and has been tirelessly working to get more seniors involved in our community.
- Peta Duffy from Springwood has been an active member of numerous groups in our area and is always ready to lend a hand to anyone who needs it.
- Jamie McLellan from the Springwood Tri-Services Subbranch has been a longstanding leader in the veteran’s community and helps to raise funds for local charities.
- Ross Gowers from Springwood heads the Homeless Veterans Program and provides vital support to many veterans doing it tough.
- Janet Pottinger from Slacks Creek has been cooking morning tea for the Marvellous Mature Women’s group for years, helping keep the group active and involved in our community.
- Michael Begeda from Calamvale was awarded the Metro South Health Volunteer of the year last year and has been helping at the hospital for the past 13 years.
- Travis Windsor from Slacks Creek has been facilitating business training in our refugee community helping to bridge gaps and help people find work as a result.
- Jintana Ruangsom from Marsden has been a key figure in helping to raise funds for community programs run from the Khmer Buddhist Society for the past 6 years.
- Yen Siek from Marsden has been a volunteer at the Khmer Buddhist Society for 20 years helping wherever it is needed.
- Yvette Peacock from Daisy Hill is a passionate frontline volunteer with 4 Voices, providing holistic support without judgement or hesitation to the women and girls of Logan.
- Greg Hayden from Regents Park runs social media for the Algester Men’s Mental Health Group, providing a safe space for men to support each other.
- Snezana Maxwell from Slacks Creek is a passionate advocate for the elderly patrons of Multilink, ensuring that individuals feel connected, respected and supported.
- Chai Hoe is an energetic member of the Brisbane Chinese Lions Club and volunteer for the Women’s Legal Service, driven by her passion to see a society free from violence.
- Peter Jenner from Browns Plains is the co-ordinator of JPs at the Grand Plaza, mentoring and leading the team while providing service with memorable enthusiasm and a smile.
- Allyson Skipper from Parkinson is the driving force and personality behind the Calamvale Park Run and helps to encourage volunteering through her work at the Algester Sports Club.
- John Dempster from Algester has been a tireless volunteer providing exemplary community service for 20+ years, including through Volunteer Connect and the Algester Parkinson Lions Club.
- Kristina Sinn from Underwood is a remarkably dedicated volunteer at the Khmer Buddhist Temple, showcasing Cambodian culture to the world as the performance and dance lead.
- Nifla George is a selfless community volunteer with a passion for good food, which she shares with people doing it tough around the Logan Central Community.
- Angela Khup Hatzaw from Woodridge is an outstanding volunteer and Cultural Cooking Champion at St Paul’s Community Hub, helping to welcome members of the Zomi community.
- Emmanuel Nkurunziza from Slacks Creek is a remarkable youth worker at Multilink, running a free soccer program and helping local youth to access work and educational opportunities.
- Hniar Cin Sung is a dedicated Multilink volunteer, bringing cultural understanding to her work in supporting over 300 individuals’ resettlement journeys.
- Lance Liufau and the team at The Loft Barbershop in Browns Plains are champions, supporting youth through local events like “Hoops for Hope” and their apprenticeship program.
- Chloe Halliwell from Marsden was the 2024 SEQ Apprentice of the Year, mastering her painting apprenticeship while passionately advocating for gender equality in construction.
- Mohammad Alizadeh is a passionate young entrepreneur and volunteer whose story began on social media when he became known for free haircuts at the Kingston Train Station.
- Janice Davidson from Logan Central is an inspiration to women at Marvellous Mature Women, helping all feel welcomed with her familiar face.
- Dayashankar Tiwari from Kingston and the team at the Seva Dharma Mission have been providing social connection and food to people doing it tough in our community since 2018.
- Terese Tobin from the Berrinba East State School P&C is an exceptional volunteer who enriches the lives of families with local events and raises awareness about domestic violence.
- Victoria Allen from Logan Central has been working with disadvantaged youth in our area for years and has been helping teach others to follow in her footsteps.
