 Longtime Club member Garry Morris is waging a personal crusade to provide relief to the parents and carers of the severely disabled in the St George and Sutherland area.
Mr Morris is President of the School Council at the St George School for children with severe physical and mental disabilities.
"I realised I was so lucky because I had healthy children," said Mr Morris, who received an OAM two years ago for services to the community. "My wife reckons if I keep sitting at my desk and doing charity work, the divorce will be ready."
 The St George School, in Marshall Street, Kogarah, integrates disabled children with visiting students from James Cook Boys High School and Moorefield Girls High.
Relieving Principal Jan Rasborsek told the Journal that the school has enjoyed a "wonderful, long" relationship with Mr Morris.
"He is very dedicated and passionate about helping those students who are severely disabled," she said. "He's concerned for their welfare and their families and wanted to make a difference for them and he's always there in the background."
A recent $10,000 donation by St George Leagues will help the school provide another invaluable service - a break for mums, dads and carers - through a future respite facility.
"The dream is to build a respite home in the area for our children," Mr Morris said. "In the St George and Sutherland area there are only three beds to take children with special needs."
Mr Morris said plans for the respite home, which could cater for about six people at any given time, will also include a day care centre to provide more temporary relief to carers, who are entitled to 28 days respite each year.
Mr Morris said the St George School hoped the State Government would come to the party with the $400,000 needed to staff the respite home annually and that local donations such as the Club's would help maintain a property.
Mr Morris has organised a Charity Golf Day to raise money for The St George School on Thursday, August 10.
For more information about it, or to assist the St George School in any way, please phone him on 9583 2285.
|
St George Leagues Club
LEAGUES CLUB JOURNAL
