“THERE were tears and happiness, then some more happiness then more tears.”
This is how Gatton’s Chris and Derek Pingel summed up the night of November 22 when they were presented with a Community Spirit Medal at the Pride of Australia national awards in Sydney.
Their citation noted they “voluntarily took on one of the toughest jobs imaginable after the horror floods that swept through the Lockyer Valley (in January)”.
“As co-ordinators of the Lockyer Valley Flood Relief effort, they managed the massive task of collecting and distributing much needed donations to flood-affected residents,” the citation said.
“They successfully ran five large storage facilities, two distribution centres and a workforce of more than 100 volunteers.
“It was a very emotional time for the couple as they are also local residents who were scarred by the tragic events in January.”
And the Pingels’ efforts to get their beloved Lockyer Valley community back on its feet haven’t stopped 10 months later.
They are involved in a project to rebuild Grantham which is also finding permanent work for people in the region, as well as a scheme to help repaint some of the 1000 or more flood-affected homes around Ipswich without or knocked back for insurance.
Recognition of these efforts inducted them into a small and remarkable group of Australians.
But, as earlier this year when the Pingels spoke with The Catholic Leader, the pair was anxious to put their efforts into the larger context of a team effort.
Again they related their love for the Lockyer Valley community within which they had grown up, a love which led to an immediate acceptance of the task requested of them by the regional council.
And the husband-and-wife team, who stepped aside from various business interests to mount the response to the disaster, also spoke of the vital part faith played in their efforts.
“God obviously positioned us in the role,” Mr Pingel said.
“We drew enormous strength from Catholic faith to push on regardless of heat, frustration or whatever – there were certainly more important things to be resolved than the discomfort we were experiencing.”
Mr Pingel said the whole award process “had been amazing” even before their arrival at the recent presentation event in Sydney.
“Calls from people such as the Premier and the Police Commissioner started early and other calls of congratulations didn’t stop all day … my phone actually went dead,” he said.
“At the awards ceremony, looking around at the worthy people present we didn’t feel we’d done anything outstanding, just what God tasked us to do.
“It turned into such an inspiring and emotional night … there were tears and happiness, happiness and tears and so it went back and forth.
“When we were shown video footage of what those present had done to be nominated for various awards, it was very emotional for all of us.”
Mrs Pingel said “in a sense we were accepting the award on behalf of the 100, in total probably more like 300, volunteers who worked alongside us month in and month out in the Gatton centre”.
“We couldn’t have done what we set out to without this help,” she said.
“Then there were the secular and Church organisations who donated materials, money and services and so on.”
Nevertheless, it was the Pingels who received the award at the black-tie gala event, standing alongside other extraordinary Australians including the Emergency Management Queens-land chopper crew.
The crew received the Heroism Medal for their efforts in evacuating 43 people from the Grantham area when the inland tsunami first hit.
The Pingels are optimistic the January disasters will make the Lockyer Valley a better town and region “than it ever was”.
“The majority of people we’ve come in contact with are excited and hope-filled about the future,” Mr Pingel said.
“The community have been galvanised into action which is a wonderful outcome.
“People are working and talking together more than ever before.”
Mr Pingel, who is also president of the Master Builders Association, recently learnt the State and Federal governments were injecting an additional $18 million into rebuilding Grantham.
“The new estate has come together faster than any development I’ve ever seen,” he said.
“And the scheme has been finding work for the valley’s young people – seven have already been picked up by local businesses and are in full-time employment.
“We’ve been through some really tough times but things are now picking up.”
