SIR, – This week the Melbourne Cup has been in Horsham. Not the race, but the prize.

The beautiful, golden trophy has its own personal security guard and must be held and displayed in a certain way.  

In Australia, it is the ultimate prize for riding the quickest horse in the land.

The AFL has their own trophy, which is up for grabs on Saturday. 

The coveted premiership prize has been a motivation for striving players, clubs and loyal supporters throughout the past nine months.

Our community has been on a similar journey, although our prize is a little bit harder to define.  

Our families have certainly put in ‘the hard yards’ and the challenge is not over yet with this insidious, infectious coronavirus still shadowing our lives. However, I would be confident that if, and when, a similar event that happened last week in Shepparton, occurs in the Wimmera, our response would follow the example set by our cousins in Shep.  

An amazing 6000 tests completed in a matter of days to track down the spread.

Our health professionals, aged care workers, police officers, school teachers and the many supporting agencies deserve our ongoing appreciation for both what they are doing and their preparations for what might need to be done.

Our local businesses, large and small, continue, where and how they can, to fight with innovation, pluck and vision.  

And the ongoing local retail trade support is vital.

There is however, a special group of people, in our country community, that have an eye on a prize, that need our thoughts, prayers and encouragement at this time. Our young people.

Over the next few months, many of our young people will be doing exams and-or making important decisions to create pathways for their future.

A message for them...

‘Be confident and encouraged by the fact that your community is proud of you and your achievements this year.  

You are on the hallowed turf and we are in the grandstands cheering you on. 

Do your best, keep an eye on the prize and press forward with goal-focused progress, one step at a time. You are all champions’.

For all of our community, I believe that with patient endurance, we will get through this year and look forward to brighter days in 2021.

Mark Radford

Horsham

The entire October 21, 2020 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!