Small Steps 4 Hannah event in QLD sees success

About 150 people from the printing and visual communications industry turned up at The Trade Coast Hotel in Pinkenba, Queensland last week in support of Small Steps 4 Hannah.

The Small Steps 4 Hannah Foundation was created by the family of Hannah Clarke and her three children who lost their lives because of domestic violence on 19 February 2020.

The foundation aims to halt the cycle of domestic violence so that everyone can feel respected, informed, confident to act, and safe.

Auctions for prized memorabilia and raffle tickets were sold on the day to raise funds for the social cause. The cost to attend the event also contributed to the donations to Small Steps 4 Hannah. A total of $11,128.75 was raised on that day, which has been passed on to the foundation.

Guest speakers Sophie Conway, from the inaugural Brisbane Lions AFLW team, and Jason (Aka) Akermanis, who is the Brisbane Lions’ AFL triple premiership player, were also in attendance speaking about their professional careers.

“I was set on playing hockey all my life but I was fortunate that both my brothers played AFL so I was in and around the sport from a young age. When opportunity knocked on the door, I got drafted into AFL and the rest was history,” Conway said about her decision in picking AFL over hockey.

Jason (Aka) Akermanis, who is the Brisbane Lions’ AFL triple premiership player

“The only time I was happy to have a famous person as my friend was when I was playing and had my watch, phone and wallet stolen. I rang the police up and they asked if there was anything on my phone that would be of national security. I said I had the personal mobile number of then prime minister Julia Gillard. They found my personal items in 7.5 minutes,” Akermanis said when recounting some of his memories.

The LIA also took the opportunity to announce the 2022 LIA Heidelberg Qld Graduate of the Year and the 2023 LIA Heidelberg Qld Graduate of the Year that it didn’t reveal earlier because of the pandemic.

The 2022 LIA Heidelberg Qld Graduate of the Year Award was handed to Martin Grogan from PSI Screen Printing while the 2023 LIA Heidelberg Qld Graduate of the Year Award was given to Bradley Pow from Multi-Color.

2022 LIA Heidelberg Qld Graduate of the Year Martin Grogan

2023 LIA Heidelberg Qld Graduate of the Year Bradley Pow

“We thank all our sponsors and acknowledge all the employers that are still investing in their staff and apprentices. Because if you don’t, nobody else will and we need to have a nice, strong bloodline in our future,” LIA federal president Mel Ireland said.

“I want to congratulate all our apprentices; they are the future leaders of our industry and as an industry body, we must support them. Women in Print is another organisation that we need to support – women are paid 13.7 per cent less than our male peers, so we have a long way to go,” PVCA CEO Kellie Northwood added.

Here are more pictures from the event: