Kate gets leg up from scholarship
Legacy and its partners are there for army veteran’s daughter
TO his little girl, Andrew MacInnes was one of a kind in every way.
He may have been a Lieutenant Colonel and served in the Australian Army for 33 years – but at night when he came home, he would sit and happily play tea parties with his admiring daughter, Kate.
He was her soccer coach from when she was a five-yearold schoolgirl, until the day that he died suddenly when she was 13.
“He was a soldier’s soldier and put everyone else above himself – but as soon as left the office and walked in the door he’d sit at a little kid’s table playing tea parties, or play dress-ups with me and my brother,” Ms MacInnes, now 20, said.
“Once Dad had passed away, I felt as if I had lost my coach – I felt responsible to carry on what dad had done – be the new coach and try to be supportive and protective of everyone, not just myself.”
Struggling to realise her goal of finishing school and leaving her native Canberra to study, she turned to Legacy.
“They made me realise that there were families facing the same issues – all with different stories and different experiences – but the one thing we all had in common was that Legacy was there to support us.”
Receiving a Legacy Westpac grant, Ms MacInnes is now studying at the International College of Management Sydney to pursue a career in management.
To help continue educating her generation, Westpac has announced a $250,000 do- nation for future scholarships, taking their total contribution to Legacy to $1.5 million in the four-year partnership between the two organisations and News Corp Australia, centred around the annual Anzac coin collections.
“We are proud to support Legacy in the vital work they do to help the families of those who served their country,” said George Frazis, chief executive, Westpac Consumer Bank.
“Our partnership with Legacy enables us to extend our support even further to the families of veterans.
“This year the funds will go directly to help family members to find meaningful employment opportunities, which we believe will have a profound and lasting impact.”
Legacy Australia chairman Rick Cranna said the partnership would encourage Australians to reflect on the legacy of war over the past 100 years – and the quintessential qualities our brave service personnel.