We cannot stress how proud we are of our leader Liz Dawes. On a cold, hot, rainy, sunny, Melbourne-y, Australia day, Liz Dawes was awarded the Bayside Citizen of the Year. It is an honour that Liz, the Robert Connor Dawes Fund, and all who support us to receive this distinction. In Liz’s words,

‘The support of the Bayside community and especially the youth has been extraordinary. It’s both humbling and joyous at the same time and a wonderful testament to Connor. It’s been overwhelmingly therapeutic to be surrounded by the positive energy of Bayside’s youth. I have tremendous passion for what we are doing but our fund simply could not exist without the generous support of literally thousands of Bayside residents. To everyone, I say a heartfelt thank you.’

As Liz (being Liz) was in the USA on an important research tour, Scott was there to accept the award on her behalf and shared some touching words,

‘Liz never backs down or gives up… Liz chose a path of making a difference, turning tragedy and loss into a positive pursuit... To rally an entire community, and in particular thousands of children and young adults, is a fantastic display of leadership... Liz’s energy and focus is nothing short of amazing.’ – Scott Dawes

Read Liz’s entire acceptance speech