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Michelle Dunlop, the "Spirit of Volunteering" award winner for Western Australia bears the baton in its final segment of the Perth Metropolitan Region of the Commonwealth Games Queen's baton relay held Monday 26 February 2018.
“It is truly an honour to have been selected to represent Australia as baton bearer in the Commonwealth Games Queen’s baton relay," said Perth resident Michelle Dunlop. She adds, "To me it is a wonderfully symbolic way of uniting people of all nations of the Commonwealth."
Michelle, a member of the Madely Ward (congregation) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was selected as baton bearer because of the award and for her years of volunteer work helping some of the most disadvantaged people in society. Through her own venture, Street Friends WA, was created providing food and clothing for the homeless in the Perth CBD. Often over 200 people access its services each week.
Mrs Dunlop also co-founded the Grief Centre, a support centre for those suffering grief and trauma through the loss of loved ones. The centre is run by experienced volunteers and provides professional counselling and support groups for the bereaved.
The Commonwealth Games Queen’s baton relay was launched by Her Majesty the Queen in London on 13 March 2017. Since then the baton has carried a goodwill message from the Queen over 230,000 km for 388 days across six Commonwealth regions - Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, Asia and Oceania.
The baton landed on Australian soil Christmas Day 2017 beginning its journey through every Australian state and territory. It reaches the Commonwealth games venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland 4 April 2018.