Henderson Rotary Club member Tony Soljan has been named the BOC RYDA Champion as part of RYDA’s annual Supporting Excellence in Road Safety Awards.

Developed by the not-for-profit Road Safety Education Limited (RSE), RYDA provides students with the tools, habits and motivation to take action and stay safe on our roads as both drivers and passengers throughout their lives. The program is delivered to more than 660 high schools throughout Australia and New Zealand, with over 60,000 students participating last year.

The national award recognises Tony’s ongoing efforts supporting RYDA workshops across West Auckland alongside members of The Rotary Club of Henderson. Since 2014 The Rotary Club of Henderson has enabled students to participate in RYDA subsiding the school fee and contributing to the local venue and facilitation costs. In addition, members volunteer for each workshop and most years support nine programmes and 10 schools to attend.

Accepting the award, Tony said: “I feel very honoured to receive this although it’s really a group effort along with our whole Rotary club. We feel very passionately that West Auckland young people can have access to this programme and we see firsthand the impact it has at the workshops. If even one life can be saved, then the investment we make is more than worth it.”

Tony, who has served on the club’s RYDA committee for many years has been instrumental in ensuring the investment into the programme continues. Maria Lovelock RSE’s NZ General Manager said “Tony's dedication spans over a decade, demonstrating his unwavering passion for promoting safer driving practices among youth. His leadership and contributions have significantly impacted our community, making our roads safer and our future brighter.”

Giancarlo Beato Berti, Health, Safety and Environment Manager for BOC New Zealand said, “I congratulate Tony and all the Rotary Club of Henderson members. This award is important recognition of the contribution of Tony and the team over a long period which has been nothing short of amazing. Their hard work has helped to create opportunities for young people to learn the vital skills to take with them on the road to stay safe.”

“BOC is a proud and longstanding supporter of Road Safety Education Limited and the RYDA programme. Local Rotary organisations play a vital role in delivering RYDA workshops and it is a privilege to celebrate local heroes like Tony who generously volunteer time to save lives through the evidence-led RYDA program.”

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