When Sunshine Coast businessman Ray Grace passed away in 2019, the staff and board members from the Woombye Community Bank Branch of Bendigo Bank wanted to find a way to both remember and honour his legacy in the Woombye community.

“Ray really was the driving force behind the launch of the Woombye Community Bank Branch,” said Branch Director, Stephen Marshall.

“He was a larger-than-life character with a heart of gold, and nothing gave him more pleasure than being able to use his influence to help improve other people’s lives,” he said. 

“From serving on the Sunshine Coast Show Society, to being a member of Apex, and raising funds for a variety of charities - including to build a local swimming pool, Ray loved to come up with fun and new ways to draw attention to a cause.”

The Ray Grace Community Award was devised three years ago and was open to Year 6 students at Woombye State School who are asked to research Mr Grace’s impact on the community, and to describe why it is so important that citizens have a heart for their community.

In his submission, the winner of this year’s award, Justin Whitaker, acknowledged Mr Grace’s community mindedness and his understanding of how this, coupled with a spirit of cooperation, leads to the strengthening of the community for the benefit of all its members.

The Award was presented to Justin by Stephen Marshall and Mr Grace’s long time partner, Cheryl Jeynes at Woombye State School on the 27th of October.

Ms Jeynes reminisced about Mr Grace and described the way he would constantly be looking for new ways to contribute to the community.

“Ray was incredibly energetic and community minded,” she said. “I remember how he used to lie awake at night, thinking of things that needed to be done and how he could get those projects off the ground.

“He just loved helping others and he always said that when everyone got in together to get things done, everyone would benefit.”

Justin was awarded with $250 cash and a further $150 was donated to the organisation of his choice, that being the Woombye Soccer Club.