When Yellow Brick Road’s Andrew Morello stepped up onto the stage at the Wollongong Innovation Campus on Friday it was clear he was in pain.
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It was quickly followed by an explanation of how he had just returned from the Kokoda Trail after raising $280,000 to help Seed Foundation with indigenous education.
The winner of the first season of ‘The Apprentice’ said he took a lot away from the long trek and had an important message to share with those gathered at JCI Illawarra’s Tea By The Sea fundraiser for Illawarra Cancer Carers. He also revealed how he would like to see 15 year olds in Australia encouraged to walk the Kokoda Trail.
“It tell you by the time you finish those 127 kilometres up and down those mountains you can understand what those Aussies and Diggers did for our freedom. It was very important to me to pay homage to the sacrifices they made so we could live in the greatest country in the world and the land of opportunity.”
Morello said his family came to Australia by boat from Italy in 1956 to make Australia their home. “My parents got naturalised because they believe Australia is an amazing country. And it is. It is the last place in the world you can come to with nothing and you can build anything. And you can then help other people. We are a prosperous country and a land of opportunity.”
At the Junior Chamber International Illawarra event Morello encouraged all present to think about how lucky they are. He also praised Wollongong for the way it did events such as Tea By The Sea so well. He said communities work best when everyone comes together.
Morello said he had been to Tea By The Sea before and loved coming back because he is a big supporter of regional communities. And he loves Wollongong people’s attitude to helping others. “I do a lot of work in regional communities. When you put charities, local business and communities together that is what makes Australia amazing”.
When you put charities, local business and communities together that is what makes Australia amazing
- Andrew Morello
Morello is about to head to Cambodia where he will be running entrepreneurial programs in orphanages
JCI Illawarra’s annual breakfast fund-raiser was started in 2008 by former JCI Illawarra member Stefanie Gaspari and some of her friends.
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