Volunteer Of The Year For Valmadre

Fresh off the bounce of being crowned this season’s regional champions in several of the junior cricket divisions, the Proserpine Pitbulls were celebrating again as Club President Mark Valmadre was awarded Volunteer of the Year.

Mr Valmadre was awarded Queensland Cricket Volunteer of the Year for the Mackay-Whitsunday region, as well as the Mackay Cricket Association Volunteer of the Year in a clean-sweep for the Pitbull President.

At Queensland Cricket’s celebration of a number of volunteers who dedicate their time, energy, and resources to making the game “Queensland’s favourite sport,” Mr Valmadre was awarded for his outstanding contribution.

He and twelve others were cited as the building blocks which contribute to the success of cricket in Queensland at the grassroots level across the state.

At the Queensland Cricket Awards Gala his remarkable “passion for cricket and drive for creating opportunities for kids” was recognised.

Mr Valmadre, when he isn't involved in training sessions or umpiring games, is always out and about maintaining the grounds, lining pitches, liaising with other clubs in the region, and designing programs and more possibilities for kids to get involved in our great game.

He created a junior team of 15- to 20-year-olds, who play in the Proserpine Senior Cricket competition as there was historically no opportunity for kids older than 15 to play in the local region. This allowed players who normally would not have continued to play cricket to stay and or come back and participate.

There’s a common saying at the club: If you call Mark at 7pm on any night, he’ll be out at the club mowing, or fixing something, or covering pitches just in case of rain.

The change Mark has brought to the club goes beyond the increase in participation numbers. Volunteer involvement has also significantly improved, and the club environment is friendlier, livelier, and overall, a welcoming club to be a part of.

Proserpine Junior Cricket Association is extremely lucky to have him.

“We are extremely lucky as a club and community to have you a part of it,” Proserpine Junior Cricket Association Secretary Danni Green said.

“The dedication and hours of work you put in everyday is amazing. Can you imagine what we could achieve as a club if we all had just a drop of Mark’s passion?”

Mr Valmadre thanked the club-members and his fellow committee members for everyone for their kind words.

“There are many others out there that deserve recognition just as much for the work that they do, behind the scenes not just in cricket,” he said, “but in all junior sporting clubs and events.”

“With a great team of committee members and coaching staff behind us, working tirelessly, pointing me in the right direction and our awesome Pitbull players, parents and sponsors, it’s me that feels lucky.”

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Proserpine Cricket Association President Mark Valmadre was honoured as Mackay Cricket Association and Queensland Cricket Mackay-Whitsunday Volunteer of the Year