Volunteer of the Year Award Named in Memory of Beloved Stalwart

Townsville Junior Touch Football has today unveiled the 'Joanne Sale Award for Volunteer of the Year', in honour of the valuable contribution made by the late Frogs Touch Football president.

Director of Junior Touch Football, Kerrod Hall, made the announcement following recent discussion with the Sale family.

"As a committee, we discussed naming the award in honour of someone in our community to both recognise their dedication to our sport and to give a special meaning to the award itself."

"Jo was a special person to all of us, and across the touch football community we have very much felt the loss since her passing in late 2014."

"For us it's an honour to be able to recognise the contribution that Jo made to our sport, and it gives this award quite a special meaning. We are very thankful to Graham [Sale] and his family for giving us this opportunity."

Jodi Villalba, daughter of Joanne and current junior touch football coach, said the family was proud to accept the request to name the award in honour of their late mother.

"Mum would be very proud to receive such a gesture."

"We [Joanne's family] are very proud of our Mum and miss her greatly. We would love nothing more than to present such an important award that not only recognises the love and effort Mum put forward to this sport, but also to others that are also dedicating their time and effort to help keep touch football a great family sport."

Current Frogs Touch Club registrar and junior coordinator, Leigh Preston, was equally proud of having the award named after her late "partner in crime" at the Frogs club.

"Jo was the driving force behind our juniors and just loved being with the kids."

"She was pretty special to the whole of the touch family, not just the Frogs club."

"I think that this gesture and acknowledgement of Jo’s contribution to junior touch football just emphases the importance we all place on our volunteers who do so much work behind the scenes."

The award joins Frogs Touch Club's Joanne Sale Young Player of the Year Award, and the Queens Park Joanne Sale Memorial Bench, in dedication to the life and contribution that Jo put into the touch football community.

The nominees for the 2018 Joanne Sale Award for Volunteer of the Year will be announced via social media at 2pm on Friday November 3rd, followed by a presentation ceremony from 5:15pm at Queens Park, North Ward.

The inaugural recipient of the Joanne Sale Award for Volunteer of the Year will be named at a special presentation at Queens Park during a break in grand finals of the 2018 junior touch football summer season, at 7:50pm on Friday December 7th, with the award itself being presented by members of the Sale family.