CEO of Club Sapphire Damien Foley has been chosen as Rotary’s Australia Day Ambassador to speak at the event in Merimbula.
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Assistant Governor of the Sapphire Coast Rotary Clubs, Bill de Jong said Mr Foley had been chosen as a local leader.
“The role that clubs play in community life, in terms of entertainment, social interaction, giving to the community and making their facilities available to local organisations, is not widely understood,” Mr de Jong said.
They are subjects that Mr Foley is passionate about and while not wanting to spruik his club specifically, he does want to talk about the role that clubs have in creating a comfortable environment for those who may be on their own.
“Clubs are a very Australian tradition. There’s a lot in our community who are lonely and clubs are a place where they feel comfortable,” he said.
“I want to put out a message of looking out for our older Australians. It’s one of the reasons we support Pearls Place; they do a similar job.”
Discussion is taking place nationally about the date of Australia Day and Mr Foley said it was a subject he couldn’t ignore.
“I am not sure January 26 is the most suitable day to celebrate Australian Day. Australians have many different views about what day it should be held on. But irrespective of this I believe we should feel proud to be Australian and appreciate our country every day.
“I don’t know anyone who sees Australia Day as a celebration of the arrival of Captain Arthur Phillip at Port Jackson. I believe most people see it as a celebration of what we have become and of our great success as a nation.
“However, there is no doubt the arrival of first fleet some 229 years ago, brought great suffering and horror for Indigenous Australians. Whilst we have accepted many great injustices were perpetrated, we haven’t yet fully faced up to all that history,” Mr Foley said.
“I don’t believe we should feel the weight of responsibility for those injustices, but I do believe we are responsible for telling the truth about them and for doing what we can to ensure Indigenous Australians share in all the opportunities our great country offers,” he added.
Mr Foley will also be talking about inspiring disabled athletes. “These people are true Australians and show us what it means to be a modern-day Aussie.”