Woodridge’s Abdul Khan has been named Logan’s Citizen of the Year for his work supporting refugees and migrants building new lives in Australia.
Canterbury College graduate and Riverbend Resident Lily Rider also took home one of the city’s top honours at the 2025 Australia Day Awards on Saturday.
She was named Young Citizen of the Year after helping raise more than $100,000 for a homeless support charity while she was in high school.
Mr Khan founded the Logan Roos Football Club at Woodridge in 2016 to support refugees and migrants as they transition to a new life.
He was awarded the title for the countless hours he has spent creating a safe and welcoming space for new Logan residents to connect, support one another and thrive together.
According to Logan City Council, Mr Khan has “brought people together, bridged cultural gaps and promoted understanding and unity for people from diverse backgrounds”.
Ms Rider, who graduated from Canterbury College last year, was acknowledged for her good deeds dating back to 2021, when she encouraged a group of her classmates and teachers to participate in the Sudsy Challenge for Orange Sky.
As part of the challenge, the group wore bright orange t-shirts for three consecutive days to raise awareness about homelessness.
That year, they raised close to $5000.
In the three years since, the group, led by Ms Rider, have raised about $103,000.
“Lilly has also individually raised more than $12,000 with the support of family, friends and her local community network,” council said.
Mayor Jon Raven said Logan was a compassionate place where people supported others in the community.
“Australia Day is the perfect time to celebrate community champions like Abdul and Lilly for the wonderful work they are doing,” Cr Raven said.
“We have so many locals who quietly go about supporting great causes and the community, today is about giving two of them the recognition they deserve for a job well done through our Australia Day Awards.
“Our city’s volunteers are the backbone of Logan and we thank each and every one of them for their dedication to making our city a better place.”
The ceremony was held at the Beenleigh Event Centre, where 180 locals also received their citizenship.
