Sarah Oliver
Moorabool council celebrated Australia Day on Wednesday January 26 with an awards ceremony that was live streamed online.
The recipient of the citizen of the year was Bacchus Marsh born Bob Closter.
Mr Closter has played football and cricket for Maddingley and Bacchus Marsh, but his main love from early years is horses.
“I’ve always loved the horses and I still do. If you say to me today, there’s a football match on, or there’s a cricket match on, I would still go to the horses,” Mr Closter said.
Mr Closter has spent a lot of time coaching and helping young children with their horses and he was the President of the Bacchus Marsh Pony Club for eight years.
The mayor award was presented to Karen Pinder who has been working hard throughout the pandemic to ‘Mask the Marsh’.
Ms Pinder has provided over 4,700 free masks to children and adults, anyone who needs them, to keep them COVID safe.
“The message we would like to pass over is – if everyone can try and do something at some stage throughout the day or the week that’s selfless, for someone else in the community, it’ll just help make the community so much better and stronger,” Ms Pinder said.
Moorabool council said the mayor award is recognition of Karen’s commitment to her community, and a way of thanking Karen for her efforts.
