The Fred Hollows Humanity Award recognises Year 6 students who follow in Fred’s footsteps by making a positive difference in their community. It celebrates students who show compassion, integrity and kindness in their everyday lives, just as Fred did. Since its inception in the ACT in 2012, the Award has recognised more than 1,580 Year 6 students with 17 state and territory Junior Ambassadors. In 2017, the Award expanded nationally for the first time with Year 6 students from all states and territories being eligible for nomination. In 2018, the Fred Hollows Humanity Award’s international inception was held in Hong Kong, recognising around 200 students. Teachers, principals, parents and members of the community are all encouraged to nominate any Year 6 student who embodies the values of compassion, integrity and kindness. Award recipients will be recognised at a presentation ceremony in their state/territory in Term 4. A state/territory Junior Ambassador to the Fred Hollows Humanity Award will also be announced. This Junior Ambassador will extend their humanity by allocating $5,000, donated by Specsavers, to a Fred Hollows Foundation program of their choice, to help end avoidable blindness. Whether it’s helping others, supporting good causes or volunteering, no act of kindness is too small to recognise. For FAQ's about the Humanity Awards, see here. If you know a Year 6 student who lives these values, nominate them below.
Nominations for the Fred Hollows Humanity Award 2020 have now closed. Please check back soon to nominate a student in 2021. If you have any questions please contact: [email protected]
In 2020, Junior Ambassadors from each state and territory were recognised at a Fred Hollows Humanity Award virtual ceremony held on Zoom. Below are the 2020 Junior Ambassadors and their nominations:
Charlie Deren is a gifted young mind from our nation’s capital, and a student of Giralang Primary School. Charlie’s taken it upon himself to lead an initiative of restoring an Aboriginal garden at his school. Charlie’s idea centred around an existing garden at the school which had fallen into disrepair. He wanted his fellow students to learn how local Aboriginal people used plants to source food and medicine and was inspired to do so after reading the book Ngunnawal Plant Use. One part of the garden will focus on a sensory experience, with strong smells and different textures, while the other part will be filled with bush tucker that the students will be able to cultivate and harvest. It’s no surprise that Charlie chose to donate his $5000 from Specsavers to The Foundation’s Indigenous Australia Program.
A student of Warranwood Primary School in Melbourne’s east, Brady was nominated by his proud mother, Leigh, for his outstanding resilience and charitable nature. Born with bilateral talipes and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Brady has had 11 operations in his life to enable him to walk. This has not dampened Brady’s spirit and eagerness to help others. Since he was five, Brady has run a fundraiser for children in developing countries who do not have access to treatment for these conditions. So far, he has raised more than $10,000 and given the gift of walking to 39 children. Brady has chosen to donate his $5,000 from Specsavers to The Foundation’s sight saving work in Vietnam.
Junior Ambassador Chloe Moore attends Sacred Heart Catholic School in south-west Hobart. She was nominated by her teacher, Jane Kaica, for her selfless volunteering efforts. Chloe’s brother has a genetic condition called CHARGE Syndrome, a condition that means he had to isolate for far longer than others during COVID-19. Chloe is an incredible help to her brother and family, often giving up her own opportunities to assist her brother at home. “I’m not sure I could do it all without her, she takes on a huge caring role for him amidst her own life,” Kylie, Chloe’s mother, says. Chloe and her friend, Grace, were inspired to help people living with a disability during this difficult time by hand making bears to comfort those who were stuck in isolation. Coming up with the idea and supplying the materials all by themselves, the two friends made the bears as part of a ‘Boredom Buster Bag’, which was organised by the charity LI-VE Tasmania. Chloe has chosen to donate her $5,000 from Specsavers to The Foundation’s work in Vietnam.
Zoe attends Nakara Primary School in Darwin. She was nominated by Marie Raico, her teacher, who selected Zoe for her indomitable efforts to end injustice. Zoe has protested against keeping children in detention, she has met refugees and heard their harrowing stories, and she’s planning a trip overseas with her grandmother to help with the charity Samaritan’s Purse. Zoe has also contributed to her father’s important health research on rheumatic heart disease (RHD), which involves training health practitioners from the NT and Timor-Leste. She has travelled with her family to Timor-Leste on multiple occasions to assist in collecting data during large RHD screening programs. Zoe decided to donate her $5,000 from Specsavers to The Foundation’s Indigenous Australia Program.
Kai Trott was nominated by his teacher, Marija Ugrinovski, for warming the hearts of his whole coastal community of Windang, near Wollongong. He encouraged people to participate in the ANZAC Day Windang Street initiative during COVID-19. With Mother’s Day stalls cancelled, he also volunteered to hand deliver gifts using a cart to mums around Windang. Kai’s compassion extends to daily acts of kindness as he helps his mum look after his uncle, who has a disability. He also participates in doorknock appeals, Clean Up Australia Day and other charity events. And he volunteers his time at Windang Surf Club. As one of our Junior Ambassadors, Kai was given the opportunity to donate $5,000 generously contributed by our corporate partner, Specsavers, to one of the countries The Foundation works in. He chose to donate to our Indigenous Australia Program.
Zaylee is part of a duo, and is the joint-recipient of the Junior Ambassadorship for Western Australia. As the Head Girl of Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School, Zaylee showed amazing leadership, kindness and compassion as she joined forces with the Head Boy, Conor, to deliver 500 heat packs to teachers in their local area. The leadership duo decided to sew and fill 500 heat packs as a thank you to tireless teachers for all their efforts during this difficult year. These heat packs, made to ease neck and back pain after long hours sitting in front of a computer, were donated to the principals of local schools in and around Bunbury. The Principals then distributed them to their teaching staff.
Conor is one of the two amazing students who are sharing the Western Australian Junior Ambassadorship. As the Head boy at his school, Connor paired up with Zaylee, the Head Girl, to set a good example for their peers despite the challenges of school being closed. Conor and his friend both received many notes of thanks from teachers across the region who greatly appreciated their thoughtful gesture. Conor has also been recognised and commended for his strong moral compass and citizenship throughout primary school by previous teachers, consistently thinking of and looking out for others’ interests and wellbeing. Conor and Zaylee have jointly decided to donate their $5,000 from Specsavers to The Foundation’s Indigenous Australia Program.
Sarah Kennedy attends All Hallows School in the heart of Brisbane, and was nominated by her mother, Amanda, for demonstrating incredible empathy and care for others through her fundraising and volunteer activities. With ANZAC Day commemorations restricted in 2020, Sarah took the initiative to teach herself ‘The Last Post’ on violin and recorded herself playing it for the local veteran community. Recognising that music can be a source of comfort during crisis, Sarah has also performed for residents at an aged care community, who have been unable to see their loved ones because of the pandemic. In addition to her musical gifts, Sarah has displayed great leadership qualities by organising a bake-sale fundraiser to help renovate a school in Papua New Guinea. Sarah made the decision to donate her $5,000 Specsavers contribution to The Foundation’s Indigenous Australia Program.
A student of St Francis de Sales College in south-east Adelaide, Lainie was nominated by her mother, Tania, for going above and beyond with her fundraising efforts. After being personally impacted by the Cudlee Creek bushfires, Lainie set up a face painting stall at the local caravan park during her summer holidays. She asked people to give what they could, and she managed to raise $100 that she exchanged for gift vouchers to be given to a local family with three children who had lost everything in the fires. Lainie recently raised over $1,500 for Vinnies ‘Walk A Mile In My Boots’ campaign, where she walked a mile in the rain. She has always had a strong sense of justice, from helping younger students on the playground, to defending the environment. Lainie has chosen to donate her $5,000 Specsavers contribution to The Foundation’s sight-saving work in Vietnam
Do you know a Year Six student who follows in Fred's footsteps by making a positive difference in their community? Then nominate them for The Fred Hollows Foundation Humanity Awards.