YoorallaSTAR
Allow us to introduce our 'shining lights', a growing list of celebrities who have signed up to be advocates for Yooralla and people with disability.
Known as YoorallaStars, some of these celebrities have a personal connection to the disability sector, others simply have a desire to do their bit to promote and educate other Australians about the issues people with disability face.
You can expect to see our YoorallaStars involved in Yooralla events, visiting our services, or drawing attention to an important disability issue in the media.
Father Bob Maguire
Father Bob Maguire is a catholic priest whose passion is supporting young people who have been rejected by their family, the education system and the welfare system.
He co-founded Open Family in 1978, working with people on the streets of St Kilda, and continues to be an outspoken advocate for those who are poor and disadvantaged via the Father Bob Maguire Foundation.
Father Bob was awarded the Order of Australia in 1989 for his work with children on the street.
He co-hosts Sunday Night Safran on Triple J radio station, and if you look further down his resume you will also see titles such as Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserve and Beekeeper.
Recently made Victorian of the Year 2011, Father Bob was also the face of the 2011 YoorallaTEE competition.
For more information about Father Bob you can visit the Father Bob Maguire Foundation
Jonathan Patrick Moore
If you are a fan of Neighbours or All Saints you may be familiar with actor Jonathan Patrick Moore (Jono, to us). Originally from Adelaide and a graduate of The Centre for Performing Arts (now Adelaide Centre for the Arts), Jono is based in Los Angeles and forging a successful international acting career.
In fact, he plays the lead role in a new Canadian TV series called 'Highland Gardens' which will air in Canada and the US early this year.
He also appeared as a supporting lead in the made for television film William and Kate and signed up for a small part in a new Oliver Stone movie working alongside Uma Thurman, John Travolta and Salma Hayek.
When Jono is in Melbourne, he is a regular at Yooralla, lending his support to projects such as YoorallaTEE and My Future My Choice.
For more information about Jono you can visit the Jonathan Patrick Moore webpage at the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
Rebecca McDonnell
Rebecca McDonnell is a highly accomplished paralympian in the sport of Table Tennis. She is one of the most successful players in her field, in the country, and has previously been ranked World No. 2.
Born with cerebral palsy, Rebecca was the first Australian to compete at the World Championships of the sport. She has represented Australia at the Beijing Paralympic Games in 2008 and the World Championships in Switzerland 2006 and Korea 2010.
In addition to her sporting accomplishments, Rebecca has a passion for early childhood education. She has a degree in the field and has worked as a kindergarten teacher. She is also working towards completing her Bachelor of Education.
Rebecca recently visited Belmore School to talk to students about her journey and is currently in training for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.
For more information about Rebecca you can visit the Australian Winter Team at the Australian Paralympic Committee website. Image courtesy of The Australian Paralympic Committee.
Richard Colman
A paralympic athlete from Geelong, Richard Colman specialises in track events and has an impressive list of accomplishments.
Richard won gold in the 800m at the 2004 Athens Paralympic games, breaking the Paralympic record and rising to World No.1. He won silver in the 200m and bronze in the 400m at Beijing and is currently training towards London 2012.
Alongside his obvious skill in track events - Richard loves sport in general including AFL, basketball and swimming. He is the first wheelchair AFL goal umpire in the Geelong League.
Proving he has brains as well as brawn, this OAM recipient also has a Commerce Degree from Deakin University.
For more information about Richard you can visit the Australian Paralympic Committee website. Image courtesy of The Australian Paralympic Committee.
Natalie Blair
Natalie Blair is an Australian actress best know for her portrayal as Carmella Cammeniti in Neighbours. It was for this role that she won Most Popular New Female Talent at the '47th Annual TV Week Logie Awards' and was subsequently nominated for both the coveted Silver and Gold Logie Awards in the two years following.
Since leaving Neighbours in 2009, Natalie has found international success in Los Angeles, returning home to a number of projects including the Feature Films 'Stage Fright', 'ICU', 'The Sleeping Warrior' and most recently 'Groomless Bride'.
Originally from Brisbane, Natalie studied voice at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and spent her youth at the Johnny Young Talent School. Her passion for singing has seen her perform at a number of high profile productions in the UK and at home in Australia, including the BBC Live Broadcast Xmas Carols in Shropshire and The Rocky Horror Show in Melbourne.
For more information about Natalie you can visit Natalie Blair's webpage at the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
David Hoflin
David Hoflin's got his first break when he was 10 years old, acting alongside Meryl Streep and Sam Neill in the movie Evil Angels.
He went on to spend four years in a lead role on family television series Ocean Girl and appeared in 360 episodes of Neighbours. He has also worked on All Saints, Blue Heelers and McLeod's Daughters.
Now based in LA, David has appeared in American television drama Big Love , NCIS: Los Angeles and the made for television movie called Love Begins.
He has recently secured a recurring role in the new J.J. Abrams drama Alcatraz which aired in America this January and will reach Australian shores on Channel 9 soon.
Born in Sweden and bred in Australia, David lives with his partner Natalie Blair.
For more information about David you can visit David Hoflin's webpage at the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
Mike Brady
Mike Brady is most famous for the iconic AFL anthems he penned: Up There Cazaly and One Day in September.
Mike also has a regular gig on radio station 3AW during the summer months and is a stand-in host at other times.
Mike is a fantastic networker and a great supporter of charities including children's charity Variety, where he is a board member, celebrity ambassador and life member.
Mike also wrote the new Yooralla jingle You Can.
For more information about Mike you can visit Mike Brady's profile at the 3AW website
Taylor Hine
At just 17 years old Taylor Hine was one of 12 seventeen year olds signed to new AFL Team the Gold Coast Suns in late 2010.
The team debuted in the 2011 AFL season and Taylor played his first game in round 11.
Taylor's mother has worked in the disability sector for the past 18 years so throughout his life Taylor has gained an empathy and understanding of the issues and challenges people with disability face.
This connection led Taylor to sign up as our youngest celebrity ambassador and he has already been involved in media activity for our YoorallaTEE program.
For more information about Taylor Hine you can visit Taylor's profile at the Gold Coast Suns Football Club website
