MILLICENT’S Kath Kent has won her second Senior of the Year Award 24 years after her first with the judges again acknowledging her fund-raising efforts for many community projects.
The announcement was made by Wattle Range Mayor Peter Gandolfi at the Millicent and District Community Club on Tuesday afternoon as Seniors Month 2017 came to a close.
In a remarkable coincidence, this was the same venue as 1993 when respected general practitioner Dr David Harris (now deceased) announced Ms Kent as the winner.
Her citations for both awards listed the efforts of the 92-year-old and her family to raise funds through raffles and other ventures.
Among the many beneficiaries have been Millicent hospital, Boneham Aged Care Services and other local charities and community groups.
Her membership of the Grand Hotel Social Club in recent years has enabled donations of tens of thousands of dollars to be made.
As part of their community spirit, the Kents have lit up their Willshire Street home every Christmas festive season for decades.
Ms Kent told The South Eastern Times of her motivation for such charitable acts.
“I just love meeting people,” Ms Kent said.
“I love helping people who are really in need.
“This win has come as a big surprise.
“My son John told me we were just going out for lunch.”
Her time in Millicent goes back more than seven decades to the immediate postwar years.
Through her soldier brother Ted Irvine, she met fellow serviceman Jack Kent of the AIF.
They married in her home district of Chandada on Eyre Peninsula in 1946 and then moved many hundreds of kilometres to his home district of Millicent.
The couple were only two months short of celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary when Mr Kent passed away in January last year.
They raised a family of five children and it has grown with the arrival of six grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.
Mr Kent came from a large family while his wife had nine siblings.
Her brothers Ted and Tom also eventually moved to the green pastures of Millicent along with sister Ollie (Ms Stephens).
John Kent took his mother back to visit Chandada two years ago.
A significant number of the Kent family were at the community club on Tuesday to share the moment with the family matriarch.
It is understood that Ms Kent is the sole dual winner of the Millicent Senior of the Year Award.
As part of the festivities for the last Seniors Month event of 2017, there was finger food, a hat parade and live music from Kevin Hollis and Bill Towner.
The gathering numbered over 100 and there was a strong representation from Boneham Aged Care Services and the Banksia Friendship Group.
There are a number of long-time sponsors and supporters of Seniors Month including Wattle Range Council and The South Eastern Times.
