Big Mal initiative aids fundraiser

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Thursday 02nd Febuary 2012

ONE of the activities during the Big Mal Leadership Series on Lihir was the launching of the Lihir Red Cross sub-branch humanitarian fundraiser on Jan 17.
The event was attended by Australian rugby league legends Mal Meninga, Adrian Lam, Allan Langer and Trevor Gilmeister.
Nine young local women volunteered to showcase the Papua New Guinea Red Cross Humanitarian Quest, their annual fundraising beauty pageant. 
They showed to Mal and his team, invited guests and representatives of business houses on the island, the skills they had learned to be able to present with confidence in front of a live audience.
To help in the Lihir Red Cross fundraising activities, Meninga donated an autographed framed photograph of the 2011 Maroons side, a 2012 Queensland jersey and three signed caps to Lihir Red Cross sub-branch chairwoman, Liz Daimol.
Meninga was impressed with Daimol’s account of the accomplishments of the Lihir Red Cross sub-branch and commended her for the fantastic work and the effort of the Red Cross on the island.
“I know that most of the Red Cross programmes rely on volunteers and volunteerism is a major strategy of many organisations that work in the community around the world,” he said.
“If you look at the rugby league fraternity and what we do in Australia, or any committee involved with sports, volunteers play an important part in that.
“If it wasn’t for volunteers, you wouldn’t be seeing these players here tonight, because all the mums and dads had to staff the canteen, coach, manage or even take kids to and from training, and to the games.
“Without volunteers, as kids, we wouldn’t have got the opportunities to dream, to have visions, set ourselves goals and be who we wanted to be.”
Meninga congratulated the young women for being brave in volunteering to be fashion models for the fundraising event to be held this year.
“Congratulations.  It’s great to see you all educated and employed, and that’s a major plus. Through what you are doing now, you will be community leaders one day.”
This is the first of three visits which the Big Mal Leadership Series team will make to Lihir throughout 2012 and is sponsored by Lihir Gold Ltd.