She’s funny, irrepressible, cheeky, irreverent, got a million-and-one witty lines and has been voted Nambucca Shire’s 2018 Citizen of the Year.
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Congratulations Irene Rowsell ... fundraiser extraordinaire and well-known face around town, selling her homemade pickles and jams at community events and touting for donations at any and every opportunity in-between.
Her ‘cause celebre’ is the Nambucca Valley Cancer Support Group Inc, chosen by her “because I survived breast cancer for a reason – to help others”.
But this award is not about them, it’s about her and she is none too comfortable about that.
“I don’t help for the returns, I’m much more comfortable giving than receiving … I’m good at asking for donations, I know I’m a bit of a stirrer but you gotta have a sense of humour, don’t you,” Irene says.
Describing herself as a talker not a speaker, she says the angiogram that will see her unable to accept her award in person, is a timely excuse.
“Best excuse to get out of giving a speech I could come up with,” she chuckles.
Having a ‘dicky ticker’ does not however slow her down – “I have three boxes and a bag of chokoes waiting to be pickled and jarred … people are always bringing me jars and fruit and vegetables, so I keep on cooking them up and bottling them. I use the commercial kitchen at the Nambucca Motel.”
Irene is sincerely thankful for the honour of the award and having reprimanded her friend Bev Irvine for nominating her, she also thanks her.
“Congratulations to all the other recipients and I will try to continue to live up to this honour.”