A NEW museum for Wodonga is what the city's latest Citizen of the Year wants to fight for over the next 12 months.
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Marie Elliot has volunteered in a range of areas including palliative care, the Border Cancer Support Group, raising money for the Bonegilla Hall and motor neurone disease.
The 72-year-old said the gong came as a humbling, yet welcome surprise.
“It was totally unexpected,” she said.
“I thought ‘Who did this, who nominated me?’
“It humbles you, makes you feel it was worth while.
“But you don’t do it for that, I do it because I love Wodonga and I’d do anything to make it better.”
Wodonga Senior Secondary College school captain Jacob Mildren, 18, won Young Citizen of the Year for his work with REDfest, Wodonga Carols by Candlelight and the city's brass band.
He said he did it because he enjoyed being involved with the community and meeting new people.
“Personally I feel like being involved in the community is what makes the community, without volunteers and connection, you don't have a community,” he said.
The Murray Valley Centre won Wodonga Community Organisation of the Year.
For 60 years the centre has has supported people with disability.
Barbara Prenter, who helps organise a bingo fundraiser to fund the service, said there had been a huge change in attitudes toward people with disability.
“People with a disability, years ago, were put aside and couldn’t go out because people would look at them - now they are involved,” she said.
“We'd just like to thank the community for being nice to our clients, they are such wonderful people, they love everybody.”
Meanwhile, in Indigo Shire, Kurtis Hickling, of Chiltern, was named Citizen of the Year.
Mr Hickling serves as a lieutenant with the Chiltern Fire Brigade where he helps with junior development and is known for his involvement with the annual Christmas light fundraiser.
Indigo Shire named Ashley Whitehead as its Young Citizen of the Year in recognition of service to the community.
The Community Organisation of the Year was the Lions Club of Beechworth for its 56 years of involvement in the community.
In the past 12 months, the club's members worked more than 5000 volunteer hours and donated $7674 to the Beechworth community.
Community members will receive their awards at the councils’ respective Australia Day ceremonies.
