Support from Bendigo Bank and Prime 7 has ensured the tradition continues.

Among the highlights each year are the naming of the Cyril Michelsen and Maxine Crouch trust fund recipients.

Long-time members of the Sports Star judging panel such as Basil Ashman, Robert Cook and Mike Greenwood have had the uncanny knack of selecting recipients who would go on to be world and/or national champions.

The Trust Funds honour the late Cyril Michelsen, founding member of Sports Star and long-time editor of the Bendigo Advertiser, and Maxine Crouch, a champion for so many sporting causes in the region and Sports Star panellist.

Primary goals of the Trust Fund are to assist and encourage young men and women who has shown outstanding promise and the potential to reach international or national level in their chosen sport.

The Cyril Michelsen Trust Fund was first awarded in 1982-83.

Several of the recipients went on to win the Sports Star of the Year award, in the case of cyclists Robert Burns and Glenn O'Shea and multiple world yachting champion Glenn Ashby it was more than once.

As the years rolled on the expoloits of boxer Lynden Hosking at Olympic and Commonwealth Games, badminton aces Glenn Warfe and Jeff Tho, and hammer thrower Tim Driesen have been closely followed.

The name McCaig is synomonous with Sports Star of the Year and cycling.

The first gold statuette for Sports Star of the Year was presenteed to Frank McCaig in 1966. He would go on to be a dual winner of the award and many years later be inducted to the Sports Star Hall of Fame.

Frank's sons, Rik and Brent are monthly winners in Sports Star.

Brent McCaig was Sports Star of the Year in 1991-92, a year after being a joint recipient of the Cyril Michelsen Trust Fund.

The Maxine Crouch trust fund was first presented in 2001-02

Skye Taylor's superb feats in kayaking-canoeing earned the first award.

Four years later and Taylor, pictured, held the gold statue as Sports Star of the Year.

Talented basketballer Kerryn Harrington, cyclist Imogen Jelbart, kayaker Rebecca Mann, athlete Sophie Taylor, and cricketer and soccer ace Tayla Vlaeminck are on the list of past winners.

In many instances the parents of our sporting stars from near and far have and continue to be a huge influence and supporter, emotionally and financially.

Through trust fund, Sports Star of the Year and its myriad of sponsors is doing what it can to help more of the region's talented competitors pursue and achieve their sporting dreams around the world.