By ALESHA CAPONE
A MODEST man from East Keilor has been nominated for the Australian of the Year competition.
Almost two years ago, Michael Gallus started the not-for-profit organisation Footys4All which provides free sporting balls to underprivileged and socially displaced children.
A Facebook fan of the foundation recently nominated Mr Gallus for the Australian of the Year 2015 awards.
“It’s just amazing and it’s great news for everyone who has been involved with the foundation,” Mr Gallus said.
“It’s just really humbling and a great honour to be even nominated after the foundation started 22 months ago.
“My role is a minor one to the organisation, to link people in together and go to meetings and then they can do a bit for the community.”
Mr Gallus said he could not run Footys4All without support from his family, sponsors, sports clubs, politicians, Moonee Valley City Council and volunteers.
“It’s certainly not me, it’s all the people out there,” he said.
Mr Gallus said his wife Amanda and children Thomas, Lily and Benjamin had devoted much of their own time to assisting the foundation.
Mr Gallus, who is also a teacher at Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School, said his employers had helped out Footys4All with finance and administration.
“Without their support, the community, parents, principal Tony Larkin or boys’ school junior principal Dean McCarter, none of this would have been possible,” he said.
When Mr Gallus spoke to Star last week, he was in Canberra meeting with politicians to discuss expanding the efforts of Footys4All.
Mr Gallus also hopes to take the program to America.
“It’s just exciting times ahead,” he said.
“My fingers are crossed that we’ll hopefully we able to take it to the next level.”
See www.footys4all.com.au for more information.
