Woombye winner

Woombye's Sam Woolrych, left, and Wade Schmeider receive their awards
from Maroochy Shire Mayor Don Culley

WOOMBYE’S Sam Woolrych and Tanawha’s Wade Schmeider are among six winners of this year’s Maroochy Bicentennial Foundation Awards to help in the pursuit of excellence in their chosen fields.

Sam, who is school captain at Matthew Flinders Anglican College, was awarded $1000 to assist with travel expenses to attend a London International Youth Science Forum this month.

Wade Schmeider was awarded $1000 to assist in travel expenses to attend the Victoria Hall concert in Singapore as part of a National Festival in August.

The Maroochy Bicentennial Foundation Awards were initiated in 1988 as Maroochy Shire’s major project to celebrate Australia’s Bicentenary. Annual grants are made to recognise and encourage outstanding achievement by Maroochy Shire citizens.

During the past nine years, the foundation has given awards worth $128,500.

The awards were judged by a panel of five, made up of Kath Parry, Robin Dunn and Norma Dickson and the trustees of the Maroochy Bicentennial Foundation Mayor Don Culley and Chief Executive Officer Geoff Adamson.

"As trustees we base our decision on outstanding performance in a field of endeavour, persistence and determination to achieve," Cr Culley said.

"We also looked for originality, creativity and enterprise, capacity to inspire and lead by example, benefit to the Shire’s community, and the contribution of the achievement to the well-being and progress of others."

This year’s awards totalled $14,200.