Fred happy to help out
FOR Fred Sacroug, the 30 hours a month he volunteers with the Townsville Hospital Foundation are well worthwhile.
Mr Sacroug, 68, was named the male Senior of the Year at Townsville City Council’s annual Seniors luncheon.
He was awarded the honour for his work at the foundation, where he helps man the front information desk and drives courtesy buggies.
Mr Sacroug said he had been volunteering at the hospital for four years.
“I don’t do it for the glory or anything,” he said. “My father- in- law was a volunteer and when he passed away I took the reins.
“My wife is also heavily involved but she’s not old enough to qualify as a senior yet so she didn’t get the award with me.”
Mr Sacroug first came to Australia in 1973 as a refugee, originally settling in Brisbane. “I was born in Egypt, in Cairo,” he said. “Because they don’t like Christians I had to leave ... I went to Italy through the United Nations refugee program.”
While in Brisbane Mr Sacroug worked as an area manager for Pizza Hut before gaining employment with the Kern Corporation, which owned numerous across the nation.
It was his work with that company that brought him to Townsville to manage The Willows Shopping Centre and Northtown Shopping Centre.
“I met Robyn up in Townsville and we’ve been together ever since,” he said.
“We have two daughters, one lives in San Diego and the other lives in Ballarat.”
But when Kern Corporation went into receivership he lost his job and found it difficult to find work again, so he started up his own lawn mowing business.
“It kept me very fit and I kept doing it until my body told me it was time to retire,” Mr Sacroug said.
He and his wife Robyn are also avid photographers, founding the North Queensland Camera Group along with another member. He can often be seen taking photographs at charity events around town.
Their passion sees them travel overseas on photography trips, visiting destinations including Seattle, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
“Our next trip will probably be to Russia or Japan,” he said. shopping centres