A celebration of Surf Life Saving
A celebration of Surf Life Saving took place in Wellington yesterday as national honours were awarded to past and present Surf Lifeguards at the 2009 DHL ‘In it for Life’ Awards. Over 30 of New Zealand’s elite Surf Life Saving members were officially recognised for their hard work and dedication to Surf Life Saving.
Twenty-three Service and Distinguished Service Awards were presented along with five Life Member Awards celebrating volunteer work spanning over many decades. Seth McPhee from Dunedin was awarded Volunteer of the Year and Chris Swain from Napier took out Surf Coach of the Year, while Ben Willis was recognised for his outstanding sporting achievements at the World Championships in Germany in July last year.
“These awards recognise the valuable time and effort our members dedicate to making our beaches a safer place. Many have spent a majority of their lives involved in Surf Life Saving and that admirable amount of commitment deserves national recognition.
“We are a volunteer organisation and without the sheer dedication of our members we wouldn’t be able to deliver the essential service that we do.” said Geoff Barry, Surf Life Saving CEO.
Award categories included DHL Volunteer of the Year, Surf Coach of the Year, Official of the Year, Examiner of the Year as well as Distinguished Service and Life Members Awards.
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DHL 'In it for Life' Honours and Awards Recipients 2009 |
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DHL Volunteer of the Year |
Location |
Surf Life Saving Club |
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Seth McPhee |
Dunedin |
Brighton SLSC |
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DHL Official of the Year |
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Wayne Franich |
Auckland |
Orewa SLSC |
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DHL Surf Coach of the Year |
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Chris Swain |
Napier |
Westshore SLSC |
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DHL Instructor/Examiner of the Year |
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Faron Turner |
Auckland |
Orewa SLSC |
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DHL High Performance Sport Result of the Year |
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Ben Willis |
Wellington |
Paekakariki SLSC |
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Life Member Awards |
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Graeme Danks |
Auckland |
Red Beach SLSC |
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Peter Gibbons |
Dunedin |
St Kilda SLSC |
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Brian Quirk |
Napier |
Westshore SLSC |
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David Emett |
New Plymouth |
East End SLSC |
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Ted Varcoe |
Wellington |
Paekakariki SLSC |
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Distinguished Service Awards |
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Warwick Donnelly |
Auckland |
Mairangi Bay SLSC |
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Grant Florence |
Auckland |
Mairangi Bay SLSC |
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George Cowper |
Auckland |
Red Beach SLSC |
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Heather Kohn |
Gisborne |
Midway SLSC |
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Jason Hutchings |
Gisborne |
Waikanae SLSC |
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Ray Stoddart |
Wellington |
Lyall Bay SLSC |
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Ron Valentine |
Wellington |
Paekakariki SLSC |
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Service Awards |
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Scott Pritchard |
Auckland |
Red Beach SLSC |
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Cherie Dillon |
Auckland |
Red Beach SLSC |
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Gregory Hall |
Auckland |
Mairangi Bay SLSC |
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Grant Florence |
Auckland |
Mairangi Bay SLSC |
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David Bradley |
Christchurch |
Taylors Mistake SLSC |
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Phillip Watkins |
Christchurch |
Waimairi SLSC |
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John Murphy |
Napier |
Waimarama SLSC |
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Marcus Gardner |
Nelson |
Nelson SLSC |
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Rik Walsh |
New Plymouth |
Fitzroy SLSC |
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Malcolm Heke |
New Plymouth |
Fitzroy SLSC |
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Andrew Cronin |
New Plymouth |
East End SLSC |
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Donald Whiterod |
Otaki |
Otaki SLSC |
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Dale Willis |
Wellington |
Paekakariki SLSC |
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Graeme Blanchard |
Wellington |
Paekakariki SLSC |
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Jan Robinson |
Wellington |
Lyall Bay SLSC |
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Craig Jones |
Wellington |
Lyall Bay SLSC |