Elie Akouri

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-117734

Hansard session: Fifty-Seventh Parliament, First Session (57-1)

Elie Akouri

Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (17:50:17):

Today I honour a dear friend of mine, Elie Akouri, who is the leader and founder of the Cedars of Lebanon group. Elie started the Cedars of Lebanon group in 1977, and he has been mentoring young members of our community ever since. The organisation is known for its Lebanese dance classes. Elie plays a crucial role in costume design and leadership. Elie also runs workshops across Australia to teach people about the Lebanese Australian culture. The dance group performs annually at Lebanon Carnival at Darling Harbour. Last year I had the privilege of recognising Elie with a Senior Volunteer Achievement award as part of the 2020 St George Community Awards, which honour some of the many people and organisations who go above and beyond, each and every day, to make our community an even better place to live. His award is thoroughly deserved. I wish Elie all the best as he looks to provide many more years of service to our community.