Asylum Seeker Resource Centre founder Kon Karapanagiotidis is Maribyrnong’s citizen of the year.
He was among 10 people recognised in Tuesday’s Maribyrnong Civic Awards.
Mayor Cameron McDonald said Mr Karapanagiotidis was recognised for his generosity of spirit and passion for advocacy after more than 20 years working at grassroots level with marginalised communities.
“Inspired by the struggles of his parents and his own experiences with racism, Kon has been driven by a desire for justice and equality,” Cr McDonald said. “Locally, he leads a team of about 1400 staff and volunteers at the ASRC.”
John Lord was named volunteer of the year for his involvement in football and cricket in the west for more than 60 years.
The mayoral award went to the Friends of Newells Paddock group, which cares for the nature reserve.
Ray O’Hara, who began playing for Kingsville Football Club in the 1960s and served the club through two incarnations as the Yarraville Football Club and Yarraville Seddon Eagles Football Club, received the ‘active Maribyrnong sporting award’.
The Idea Collective, a co-working space for desk-based creatives, received the ‘enterprise Maribyrnong award for innovative business’. Rudimentary Cafe received the same award for new and emerging business.
