Cale Hooker and Joel Selwood join forces to launch the Powercor Country Festival.

Essendon and Geelong Football Clubs have officially launched the 2020 Powercor Country Festival, announcing an exciting new initiative to recognise the selfless work of regional volunteers.

In partnership with The Weekly Times, and proudly supported by Powercor, the inaugural Heart Volunteer Awards will honour dedicated volunteers across four categories, including sport, community, emergency responders and environment.

The Heart Volunteer Award winners will be featured in a special Powercor Country Festival wrap around edition of The Weekly Times on Wednesday 6 May and will also be honoured at the blockbuster game between Essendon and Geelong on Saturday 9 May at the MCG.

Members of the public can nominate volunteers for the awards online. To nominate a worthy volunteer, click here.

The dedicated volunteers will be honoured across the four categories below, reflecting the important roles volunteers play in our communities. 

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Powercor recognises rural Victorians

The Powercor Country Festival aims to highlight the role regional and rural Victorians play in the fabric of Australian life, with a specific focus on recognising and thanking the amazing work of volunteers in regional communities.

SPORT: Spotlight on volunteer coaches, umpires, committee members, fundraisers, working-bee regulars and other helpers at all rural and regional sporting clubs

COMMUNITY: Celebrating people who work to run community halls, local government groups, elderly support networks, community events, youth groups

COLES EMERGENCY RESPONDERS: Honouring people who devote time to emergency response organisations

ENVIRONMENT: Giving thanks to the Landcare groups, urban clean-up, riparian protection, community garden volunteers who take care of our towns and regional areas.

For the fifth consecutive year, the Powercor Country Festival will transform Yarra Park at the blockbuster game in May, bringing the country to the city.

The festival will include farmers market stalls, live performances from country music artists, animal farms, a live working dog display, food trucks and the recently announced, Thank You BBQ, supported by Coles.

CFA volunteers will also receive free tickets to the game, the opportunity to unfurl the Australian Flag on the MCG prior to the bounce and a special half-time lap of honour.

Tickets to the Powercor Country Festival game between Essendon and Geelong, can be purchased here.