Page 4519 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 14 October 2009
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I thank them for the wonderful hospital they have shown me over the years in welcoming me to their events.
I also note the wonderful contribution of Ivan Slavich and Eoghan O’Byrne in relation to the esCarpade fundraiser, which is a fundraiser for Camp Quality. There was a fundraising dinner for esCarpade at the Hellenic Club last Thursday. Five hundred people attended that. There were over 20 businesses supporting either as sponsors or with in-kind sponsorship. All of the money raised goes to Camp Quality ACT to help kids and their families living with cancer. I understand that they will be handing over a cheque to Camp Quality at McDonald’s Belconnen on Friday at 8.30 am, and it will be for around $200,000. It is an outstanding effort.
Over the last three years, the team has raised approximately $575,000 for Camp Quality. Fifty-four cars were in the event, and this car, the esCarpade car, from Ivan Slavich and Eoghan O’Byrne, raises about one-fifth of all the money raised, and it is Camp Quality’s main fundraiser. I think that is a real local success story in terms of its contribution to Camp Quality. Both Ivan and Eoghan have done an outstanding job over a number of years. That is quite a phenomenal amount—$575,000 over the last three years, and around $200,000 this year. I pay tribute to these Canberrans who are doing wonderful things for Camp Quality. It is a very worthy charity, and I congratulate them on their achievements. I congratulate Camp Quality on the wonderful work that it does in our community, and indeed right around the country.
Ms Veronica Wensing
MS HUNTER (Ginninderra—Parliamentary Convenor, ACT Greens) (6.48): I want to highlight the win by Veronica Wensing. Veronica has been named the Telstra ACT Business Woman of the Year. Veronica is the Executive Officer of the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre. At this very important organisation, she oversees an organisation that provides 24/7 phone support for people affected by sexual violence, legal and medical advocacy services, face-to-face counselling for women, children and men, community education, and input into government policy and reforms.
Veronica has been a very dedicated member of the community sector, and certainly in her role as executive officer at the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre for many years. She has a massive commitment to protecting women’s rights and also to bringing attention to issues that are affecting women and to inspire other women to contribute to collective action.
Apart from the counselling service, I know that they are looking at implementing a particular program into schools very shortly. This is a respectful relationships program. Not only have Veronica and her organisation decided that it is incredibly important to provide services to those people who have been affected by sexual violence, but also that it is incredibly important to work on the prevention of sexual violence in our society which, unfortunately, is an issue that is not going away any time soon.
The sorts of programs that Veronica and her team will be implementing in schools are so important in talking to our young people around what makes a respectful relationship. Hopefully, that sort of community education and involvement will bear
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