Ken Piva has been named 2018 Volunteer of the Year at the Moreton Bay Regional Council’s Australia Day awards.
Mr Piva’s tireless community work and practical support for people in the Bribie Island community has won him the Moreton Bay Regional Council Australia Day Award for Volunteer of the Year.
He said he accepted the award on behalf of all volunteers.
“I felt a bit awkward when I heard about it,” Mr Piva said.
“I’m very honoured but it’s not something you do for those reasons — you do it for the smiles on people’s faces and seeing them get back their self-worth.”
Mr Piva has been a Bribie resident for the past 50 years and credited his parents for giving him his first sense of community spirit.
“I was brought up in a pub and mum and dad were always supporting various community groups,” he said.
Mr Piva has volunteered at St Vincent de Paul, Lions, Camp Quality and Woodford Prison, and he has been the local chaplain at Bribie Island State School for the past 10 years.
Over this time he has always worked extra days above and beyond those he is paid for.
His mission in life is giving disadvantaged children a pathway in order to give them the best start possible.
To break down the barriers for these children on Bribie Island, Mr Piva was instrumental in setting up BIKES (Bribie Island Kids Educational Support) in partnership with St Vincent de Paul and organises an annual golf day to raise money for this support to continue.