Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Blacktown celebrates its extraordinary senior citizens

Blacktown City Council has celebrated two of the city’s extraordinary senior residents at the 2024 Blacktown City Senior Citizen of the Year Award ceremony.

Christine Nield and Peter Overton were named joint recipients of Blacktown City’s 2024 Senior Citizen of the Year, with the prestigious title recognising their dedication to their local community through volunteer work.

The Mayor of Blacktown City, Tony Bleasdale OAM congratulated both saying, “This award provides Council with an opportunity to acknowledge and honour the heroes within our senior community in Blacktown City.”

“With over 61,000 individuals aged over 65 living in Blacktown City, their remarkable contributions, frequently through voluntary and unpaid work, significantly enrich our community. I express my gratitude and congratulations to Christine and Peter for their countless hours of dedication. They are truly deserving recipients of this award,” Mayor Bleasdale said.

Christine, a long-time Blacktown resident, actively supports her community through various initiatives like the Quakers Hill Neighbourhood Centre’s donation gathering, Blacktown Council’s knit bomb project against domestic violence, and Boomerang Bags at Riverstone, which repurposes fabric to create environmentally friendly items.

Her innovative contributions, including making book pillows for early literacy and crafting bags for Kids Early Learning, highlight her dedication to making a difference. Recognition of Christine’s kindness and generosity is well-deserved.

For three decades, Peter’s decorated house in Quakers Hill has drawn crowds from near and far at Christmas time. With meticulous handmade decorations added each year, Peter dedicated October and November to setup and December to greeting thousands each night, organising BBQs, and even arranging visits from Santa on a fire truck.

Peter has finally decided to turn down the lights after 30 years of selfless dedication. Council congratulates Peter for the recognition he deserves as he reluctantly hangs up his ladder.

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