Simone Vojakovic

I am the Policy and Events Manager for the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia and it is my honour and pleasure to be Captain of the ADSA Walk

ADSA Walk 2018 Sound the Siren

17/09/2018 by Simone Vojakovic

Friday 14th Septmber 2018 we end the ADSA Walk 2018 with the help of supporters, friends, and family.

Wellington Street Train Station Perth Friday 14 September 2018

Murray Street Mall Perth Friday 14 September 2018

Barrack Arch Perth Friday 14 September 2018

Malcolm Street Bridge Perth Friday 14 September 2018

Harvest Terrace & Parliament House Perth Friday 14 September 2018

The Big Group Photo

ADSA WALK TEAM 2018

Simone Vojakovic, ADSA Walk CaptainProf Anna Nowak, NCARD Dr Joost Lesterhuis, NCARD Meredith Hammett, UnionsWAMick Buchan, CFMEU Rose Marie Vojakovic, ADSARobert Vojakovic, ADSA & Melita Markey ADSA, Federal Labor Candidate for Stirling

ADSA Walk Team members Ross, Lidia, Sarah, and Aida sound the siren to officially end the ADSA Walk 2018

ADSA Walk 2018 NCARD TEAMADSA Walk 2018 Slater & Gordon TEAM ADSA Walk Team member Dr Greg Deleuil

Robert and Rose Marie Vojakovic ADSA

Speech notes of Simone Vojakovic (thanks to J.M. Barrie):

COURAGE IS THE THING. ALL GOES IF COURAGE GOES. IF WE HAVE COURAGE WE CAN SECURE AND PRESERVE OUR EFFORT TO SUPPORT THE WORK FOR A CURE FOR MESOTHELIOMA.

WE HERE TODAY HAVE A SHARED GOAL THAT WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS PERHAPS I should say ‘WALKING TOWARDS’. A GOAL THAT CAN ONLY BE REACHED WITH ALL OUR COMBINED EFFORT.

MESOTHELIOMA DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE. As we all know there is no safe level of asbestos exposure and with the PREVALENCE of asbestos products still in place or poorly disposed off or indeed newly imported for current construction, EVERYONE is being exposed to this deadly risk EVERYDAY.

THE ADSA WALK FOR RESEARCH AND AWARENESS DEMONSTRATES THE COURAGE REQUIRED TO SECURE AND PRESERVE THE SEARCH FOR A CURE FOR MESOTHELIOMA.

EVERYONE’S EXCELLENT FUNDRAISING EFFORTS MAKE POSSIBLE the ‘Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia Phd Scholarship in Mesothelioma’.

I CAN NOT PRAISE THE ADSA WALK TEAM ENOUGH FOR THEIR DEDICATION AND COURAGE. I ALSO WANT TO PRAISE EVERYONE THAT JOINED US IN HARVEY FOR THE WALK AROUND TOWN AND OF COURSE EVERYONE HERE TODAY.

THE SPIRIT OF THE ADSA WALK IS ‘IF YOU WALK ONE STEP YOU WALK WITH US’.

BEFORE WE END THE ADSA WALK 2018 I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE WHO’S EFFORTS HAVE MADE THE ADSA WALK POSSIBLE THANKS TO:

GARY VAN BURGEL FOR HIS SUPPORT AND PILOT DRIVING

JOAN A. ADSA WALK TEAM COORDINATOR

GEOFF AND WEST COAST COACH SERVICE

LIDIA FOR HER SUPPORT AND DAVE FOR HIS SUPPORT DRIVING

MATT & DAN SMITH OF META MAYA THEIR SUPPORT DRIVING AND WALK EFFORTS

SLATER & GORDON FOR ALL THEIR SUPPORT JOINING THE WALK AND ROUGHING IT WITH THE TEAM

PROF ANNA NOWAK & TEAM NCARD

ALL OF OUR SPONSORS: UNIONS WA, SLATER & GORDON CFMEU, MASTER PLUMBERS AND GAS FITTERS ASSOCIATION, OSBORNE PARK PHARMACY, RANDALLS ROASTS, SPUD SHED, EMBROID ME NEWCASTLE ST, META MAYA

HARVEY LIONS FOR THE SAUSAGE SIZZLE IN HARVEY

JOAN B., LIL & JAZ FOR THEIR EXCELLENT SANDWICH WORK AND SUPPORT AT THE WALK AROUND TOWN

RANDALL OUR COOK AND HIS TEAM JAMES AND RON

ROBERT AND ROSE MARIE VOJAKOVIC

THE ADSA STAFF

AND OF COURSE THE ADSA WALK TEAM, THEIR FAMILIES AND SUPPORTERS

IF I HAVE MISSED ANYONE I THANK YOU WITH ALL MY HEART AND HOPE THAT YOU KNOW YOUR EFFORTS ARE VALUED AND RESPECTED

Yarloop CWA and the ADSA Walk 2018 last day on the road

14/09/2018 by Simone Vojakovic

Thursday 13th September 2018

Gary Van Burgel, the ADSA Walk Pilot Driver, ADSA South West Representative, and past Lodge Master of the Yarloop Masonic Lodge

In front of this plaque is an eerie empty space where a part of history once stood taken by a catastrophic bush fire in 2016 that destroyed Yarloop leaving only a few homes standing and a community mourning the death of two their neighbours and friends. They were also burdened with the knowledge that the asbestos products in the homes that burnt had contaminated their land and the surrounding areas with respirable asbestos fibres. The clean up of the town of Yarloop was a long process and community members are now rebuilding their lives.

Gary took the ADSA Walk Team on a tour of Yarloop explaining the lay out of the town before and after the fire. Amazingly the Yarloop Masonic Lodge was spared. This simple yet magnificent building lined with local jarrah made for a meaningful stop on the tour.

The Yarloop Country Womans Association aka Courageous Womens Association warmly welcomed the ADSA Walk Team for a morning tea of fresh scones and delicious treats. But as Lois Blackburn, CWA Yarloop President, said, “the CWA is not just about tea and scones it is about providing real and tangible help to members of the community in need”.

Lois and her CWA Team gave a informative talk on the history of the CWA Yarloop which has just celebrated their 80th Anniversary with a book of Recipes and Handy Hints. Stories were shared about the 2016 fires impact on individuals and the CWA ladies sold every copy they had of the book Stories from the Fireground.

Thank you for your generosity and for sharing your stories Yarloop CWA.

It shows that hope never left this town that after a long clean up process Yarloop is rebuilding.

After a fortifying morning tea the ADSA Walk Team was escorted from Yarloop into Waroona by the Preston Beach Volunteer Fire Fighters

Once the ADSA Walk Team hit the road they received heartfelt support from the Union picket line at Waroona.

Charlie Clarke, AMWU, gave a rousing speech and then the Unions took to the road to Walk in solidarity on the South West Highway.

Mooriel the Cow outside the Waroona Visitors Centre

In Waroona the ADSA Walk Team stopped for a photo with Mooriel the Cow outside the Waroona Visitors Centre who was dressed as a Wittenoom Miner for the day in honour of the ADSA Walk 2018.

ADSA Harvey Walk Around Town Funtastic

13/09/2018 by Simone Vojakovic

ADSA HARVEY WALK AROUND TOWN 2018

Wednesday 12th September 2018

Robyn Clarke MLA Member for Murray-Wellington starting the ADSA Harvey Walk Around Town at the Harvey Community Resource Centre.

The ADSA Harvey Walk Around Town start line in the grounds of the Harvey CRC

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO!

Harvey Lions cooking up a storm of sausages for the hungry team

Australind Lions present a generous donation

Uduc Road Lap Card Stamping Station

The Prize Winners!

A big thank you to Tracey-Ann and the girls at the Harvey CRC for hosting the ADSA Walk Around Town Team.

The ADSA 2018 Harvey Walk Around Town was made possible by the generous welcome and support from the Harvey CRC. The Harvey CRC grounds made the perfect place to have our Walk headquarters and everyone enjoyed the lovely garden and surrounds. We wish the Harvey CRC team all the best with their ongoing support of the Harvey Community and for their future endeavors.