It is one of two top honours announced Wednesday morning, with Kevin Cail becoming 2019 City of Greater Bendigo citizen of the year and Sam Kane becoming young citizen.

Mr Cail is a longtime resident of Kamarooka and caretaker of the local recreation reserve.

“I didn’t expect any of this to happen. I just do a lot of work at the reserve. I wasn’t expecting any accolades to do that,” he said.

“I live across the road, I’ve eased off me farming so I just walk across with my chainsaw or a lawn mower and do a few jobs around the place.”

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Those “odd-jobs” included 45 years on the committee and efforts to ensure its suitability for groups including the former Northern United Football and Cricket Clubs, tennis matches, landcare groups, ladies events, sheep auctions, dog training and the annual Kamarooka Picnic.

Mr Cail said if people in country areas lost their reserves and halls they also lost their space for reunions and get-togethers.

“That’s what we’re all about,” he said.

To raise money for the Kamarooka Community Club, Kevin regularly ran sausage sizzles at Bunnings and collected money paid to park at the Elmore Field Days event. 

He was also involved with Drummartin Primary School, mentoring young people in the district and was a local historian.

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Mr Kane was president of the Golden Square Swimming Pool and assists in media promotion for the Golden Square Kindergarten and the Bendigo Youth Choir.

Last year he became president of the pool committee, leading a group of about 50 volunteers.

“I just do it because I love working for my community,” Mr Kane said, paying tribute to those he had volunteered with at the pool and choir.

He was studying a Bachelor of Arts at Melbourne University, majoring in politics and journalism, and returned during university holidays to work as a journalist for the Bendigo Weekly.

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Mr Kane looked forward to a year highlighting what young people could do by getting involved in community organisations. 

He would also draw attention to what those groups could get out of young people’s involvement.

Mr Cail said he would uphold his new duties to the best of his abilities, with the interests of Kamarooka close to his heart.

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