Two dedicated and devoted grassroots sportspeople will be awarded Citizen of the Year and Young Citizen of the Year at tomorrow's Eaglehawk Australia Day celebrations.
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Wally Stables and Dylan Gaffee will be the proud recipients of the awards at Canterbury Park tomorrow.
Rotary Club of Eaglehawk will be hosting the Australia Day celebrations, which include a free community breakfast at 8.30am.
Dr Skye Kinder will serve as an Australia Day ambassador, acknowledging Eaglehawk's citizens of the year at a diverse and inclusive community event that features entertainment from the Eaglehawk Citizens Brass Band and singer Scarlett Abbott.
Wally Stables arrived in Eaglehawk with his family from Scotland nearly 60 years ago.
Mr Stables has dedicated 50 years of service to the Eaglehawk Swimming Club, now known as the Bendigo Hawks, as vice president and secretary, district proficiency officer and district referee.
He remains involved in the club as a mentor, coach and leader of the Bendigo Hawks, often seen pacing up and down the side of the pool, coaching young swimmers.
"I'm dumbfounded and very humbled," Mr Stables said of his accolade.
His association with swimming brings him great joy, enabling him to see young people excel in the pool and keep fit and healthy.
Cricket has been in 22-year-old Dylan Gaffee's blood from a young age.
He joined the Eaglehawk Cricket Club when he was five years old and hasn't looked back.
Mr Gaffee has played an instrumental role in the success of the club both on and off the pitch, as a player and committee member.
Being acknowledged as the Eaglehawk Young Citizen of the Year is humbling for Mr Gaffee.
"I've been fortunate to have been put in a position where I've been able to give back at a young age," he said.
A creative mind that's always thinking about ways to improve his community, Mr Gaffee successfully orchestrated last year's On The Wing Festival.
He is a strong advocate for mental health and has been responsible for implementing an advocacy program at the Eaglehawk Cricket Club, in addition to a training workshop with the Bendigo Suicide Awareness Group.
"I've grown up in a time when mental health is talked about more than it was once upon a time.
"I started organising events and getting more people in the club involved in talking about mental health," Mr Gaffee said.
Having recently completed a Bachelor of Education at La Trobe University, Mr Gaffee juggles casual work with his commitment to sport and is a community all-rounder who hopes to make an impact in the community as a teacher.
