The Catherine Freeman Foundation

LATEST NEWS

Cathy Freeman and Palm Island youngsters get a sneak preview of superliner Pacific Dawn
Nov 9, 01:01 AM

Olympic gold medallist Cathy Freeman today met up with four indigenous school children from Palm Island, the birthplace of her mother, to get a sneak preview of Australia’s first superliner – the 77,000 tonne Pacific Dawn – ahead of her official naming ceremony tonight. The children are from Bwgcolman School, one of the selected schools to benefit from the projects of the newly established Catherine Freeman Foundation.

The children were given a VIP tour by Cathy and the ship’s Captain Amitrano as part of their special visit to Sydney.

Cathy is the “Godmother” of Pacific Dawn and will formally name the ship at tonight’s Circular Quay ceremony, which features the largest light projection on a ship ever undertaken in Australia. The evening is helping to raise funds for the Catherine Freeman Foundation, which aims to provide opportunities and environments to encourage disadvantaged individuals and communities to achieve positive change

The Palm Island children, aged 10 to 13, were hosted by Cathy and the Captain onboard as part of a special visit to Sydney, which will also include a trip to Taronga Zoo.

It is tradition for a ship’s Godmother to receive a gift from the company. However, Cathy asked that the money instead be provided to the Foundation so it could establish a library for the people of Palm Island.

“I am really happy to have the gift from Carnival go to the people of Palm Island to help establish a library. The Catherine Freeman Foundation is concentrating on the importance of a good education and is facilitating ways to help young people learn. Education is critical in helping people to make positive choices in their lives,” Cathy said.

“The Island’s community leaders identified literacy as a major priority, so this fits really well with the charity’s objectives.”

Ann Sherry, Chief Executive Officer of Carnival Australia which operates P&O Cruises, said she was proud the company could help the Cathy Freeman Foundation in its early stages.

“I am passionate about both indigenous issues and providing opportunities to young people through education, and the Foundation’s decision to populate the first ever public library in Palm Island crosses both of these,” Ms Sherry said.

“We asked Cathy to be Pacific Dawn’s Godmother because she is a much-loved Australian who has been an amazing role model. Her decision to ask the company to fund the library instead of giving her an expensive gift speaks volumes about the work of the Foundation and Cathy’s commitment to ensuring it makes a difference.”

The superliner’s christening comes as P&O Cruises prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary of cruising from Australia. Over that time P&O Cruises has carried more than two million Australians, with more than 100,000 Australians cruising with the line in 2007 alone.

For more information on P&O Cruises Australia’s first superliner, visit www.pacificdawn.com.au
And for more information on the Catherine Freeman Foundation visit www.catherinefreemanfoundation.com.