Local Celebration Awards recipients revealed

Tuesday, 31 August 2021

The recipients of Penrith City Council’s inaugural Local Celebration Awards – which shine a light on dedicated, selfless and inspirational people in Penrith - were announced at Council’s August Ordinary Meeting.

Council is delighted to recognise and congratulate the worthy winners:

• Kristine Gauci – Citizen of the Year (18 years old and over)
• Daena Madon – Young Citizen of the Year (under 18 years old)
• Duo Cathy and Marzi DeSanti, as well as solo recipient Gloria Lenon - Mayor’s Local Heroes Award (all ages)
• And three recipients, Robert Rayner, Michael Allen and Victoria Nou – Making a Difference: Community Service Award (all ages)  

The awards program celebrates people who go above and beyond, who volunteer their time to make Penrith a great place to live, or who work tirelessly for the benefit of others and for the community. 

Penrith Mayor Karen McKeown OAM said after a difficult year of unprecedented challenges there’s never been a better time to celebrate Penrith’s can-do attitude and resilient spirit. 

“Over the past 18 months our community has experienced bushfires, flooding and the continuing social, emotional and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout it all, and despite it all, we know there are amazing people still doing great things in Penrith,” Cr McKeown said. 

“These awards are an opportunity for us to highlight the people in our community who have shown us the best of themselves in some of the worst times and give them the recognition they deserve. 

“I heartily congratulate Kristine, Daena, Cathy and Marzi, Gloria, Robert, Michael and Victoria. They are all amazing community heroes who humble us with their selflessness and who make us truly proud to be part of the City of Penrith,” Cr McKeown said. 

Find out more about the award program and our worthy winners at: penrith.city/local-celebration-awards  

Information contained within this news release was correct as at Tuesday, 31 August 2021.