A long-time volunteer who supports patients in palliative care has been recognised as Logan’s top community contributor at the city’s first People’s Excellence Awards.
Gail Harrower received the inaugural Mayor’s Excellence Award at a ceremony at the Logan Entertainment Centre on Saturday night, recognising decades of volunteering and community support.
Ms Harrower works with people receiving palliative care at Logan Hospital and has organised an annual gala ball to help fund improvements to the ward environment.
Her volunteer work also focuses on helping vulnerable people feel supported and connected to their community.
The award was part of the first City of Logan People’s Excellence Awards, which recognised local residents and organisations across 17 categories covering sport, arts, innovation, volunteering and environmental work.
More than 120 nominations were received for the awards, highlighting the range of community efforts taking place across the city.
Logan Mayor Jon Raven said the awards aimed to acknowledge people whose work often goes unnoticed.
“The first City of Logan People’s Excellence Awards highlight the incredible talent we have right here in our growing city,” Cr Raven said.
“Our most outstanding community members are often the most humble, so it’s important we take the time to recognise them.”
Among the other winners was artist Chloe Wigg, who received the Artist Award for her work creating public art and advocating for accessibility and representation as an artist living with disability.
Environmental advocate Tony Sharp was named Eco Champion for his work with social enterprise Substation33, which diverts large volumes of electronic waste from landfill and repurposes materials into practical solutions such as flood safety equipment.
Substation33 was also recognised with the Eco Community Organisation Award for its recycling programs and sustainability education initiatives.
In the sports category, blind golf world champion Jamie Hain was honoured for using his achievements to encourage participation and inclusion in sport across the community.
Community leader Zakaria Amin received the Community Advocate Award for supporting multicultural residents with employment, skills development and access to services.
The awards ceremony was held on 21 March, with organisers planning to make the event an annual recognition of people contributing to the city’s social, cultural and environmental life.
