Well-known Boggabri identity Col “Mad Dog” Gillham has received a Community Service Award from the NSW government.
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The award is one of two given out in each state electorate each year.
Member for Barwon Kevin Humphries said he was “honoured” to present Mr Gillham with the award.
“Col has raised a huge amount of money over the years through various endeavours including riding a stick horse named ‘Cedar’ from Boggabri to Baan Baa, swimming the Namoi in the middle of winter and a massive 40-hour shear-a-thon,” Mr Humphries said.
“It was wonderful to see Col recognised for his wonderful contribution to the community.”
The NSW Government Community Service Award recognises people who have substantially contributed to the improvement of the quality of life of members of their community, beyond that expected in their usual occupation.
A person can be nominated for community work done mainly within the Member of Parliament’s electorate.
The award was a surprise to Mr Gillham, who did not know he had been nominated.
“I had a call from Kevin Humphries’ office asking if I could meet him on Friday,” Mr Gillham said.
“I had no idea what it was about. So I had a schooner and then went to the coffee shop to meet him.”
The award was also a surprise to his wife Deb, who knew nothing about it until after it had been presented.
Mr Gillham is no stranger to awards, having twice been named Narrabri Shire’s Citizen of the Year, with a 10-year gap between the awards.
He has raised money for a range of causes, including Angel Flight and hospitals in Moree, Narrabri, Gunnedah and Boggabri, people with multiple sclerosis and cancer.
Among his charity exploits have been pushing a wheelbarrow to the Narrabri Relay for Life, walking to Gunnedah wearing 74 bras for cancer sufferers in Boggabri,
pushing a wheelchair to Gunnedah, and swimming from the Boston Bridge in Boggabri to the steel bridge on the Manilla Road in the middle of July.