Page 2889 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 17 September 2014
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I first met George Lemon in the early 1990s when he was secretary of the Queanbeyan City Soccer Club. He was heavily involved in assisting with the administrative areas of the club as well as helping the Queanbeyan Macedonian community. By 1997 he was vice-president of the Capital City Suns which has proud Macedonian connections and he was so immersed in the community that many of us thought that George Lemon himself was of Macedonian origin. While he pointed out that he was not, it highlighted his passion for the many people of various backgrounds that he helped over the years, which is still his trademark today, 22 years later.
I became president of Soccer Canberra in 1996 and our paths crossed frequently, as George seemed to be everywhere. Not only was he the Queanbeyan City Soccer Club delegate on the Queanbeyan Sports Advisory Committee, as well as on Soccer Canberra’s Senior Assembly of Clubs, he also became a member of the influential Soccer Canberra Senior League Management Committee. George Lemon became Mr Soccer in Queanbeyan and his legacy of work as club administrator with three local clubs, Queanbeyan City, Capital City Suns and Monaro Football Club, earned him great respect in Queanbeyan and Canberra. This led to George becoming a vital part of administration of Soccer Canberra and he served for a period as general manager of the Canberra Cosmos.
During this period George was also instrumental in providing some much-valued support for the community of East Timor. As a fledgling nation they had many areas of need and he became aware of the youth of East Timor needing sporting equipment. Through Soccer Canberra, George Lemon organised a collection that resulted in around 42 boxes of soccer boots, balls, shirts and assorted equipment being dispatched to East Timor. He also played a major part in the Soccer Canberra initiative the Kanga Cup, the international and local youth tournament that by 2002 had achieved a record number of around 201 international and local teams that competed.
George also became heavily involved in Gawad Kalinga, a Philippines charity that sought to improve the dire circumstances of the many homeless. And through his growing network of supporters in Australia, George has raised over the years a very significant amount—I believe, hundreds of thousands of dollars—that has helped build villages that have provided homes and dignity to many people in need.
There are many other areas where George Lemon has contributed over the years. He was a volunteer in Canberra during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. He has been a strong supporter of Coralie Wood and her CAT awards that do such a great job in supporting and recognising the acting and singing talents of many individuals and groups in Canberra and the region.
After 22 years of involvement and continuous service in football George Lemon has decided to hang up his proverbial football boots and I am sure that I echo the thoughts of many in the football community. We wish him well in hopefully temporary retirement. But he certainly deserves a break after the many years of valuable contribution that he has made. To George Lemon, thank you for your valued contribution to the sporting community and best wishes in all the other important areas of community involvement through Gawad Kalinga that I understand you will still continue.
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