STAWELL Athletic Club is set to celebrate a selection of Australia's finest female athletes over the Stawell Gift Easter Carnival next year.
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While the focus is generally on the men who are vying for the $40,000 winner's cheque, it is the ladies who will share the spotlight over the Easter weekend.
A stone wall that has the names of all the State of Victoria Strickland Family Women's Gift winners will be unveiled on Friday, April 3, which is day one of the four-day carnival.
It will be similar to the men's Stawell Gift winners' wall that is currently situated out the front of the Stawell Gift Hall of Fame at Central Park.
Stawell Athletic Club (SAC) is sending out an open invitation to any ladies who have competed in the Stawell Gift carnival to attend this special occasion.
The club is also seeking to contact ladies who have won the Strickland Family Women's Gift so that they can help with the establishing of the wall.
"We'd like to contact them all. We've got names, but some of the ladies are now married and it is proving difficult to contact them," Stawell Athletic Club president, Trevor Skurrie said.
Mr Skurrie and members of the Stawell Athletic Club committee are calling on the local community to assist in raising funds for the Strickland Family Women's Gift winners' wall.
Committee member, Robert Irvine has already dug deep with a generous donation, but more is required and those who do contribute will be recognised.
In addition, the lady Gift winners will be acknowledged in the Stawell Gift Hall of Fame Museum with a photograph and their names appearing on a new honour board.
Mr Skurrie stressed the importance of women at Easter and said the SAC is aiming to further recognise the role of their Gift as part of the Stawell Gift Easter Carnival event package.
"Women have been involved since day one," he said.
"They are very important to the Gift. It not only builds our profile up, but they're running to improve themselves and try to get into Commonwealth and Olympic Games."
Household names such as Cathy Freeman, Melissa Breen, Melinda Gainsford-Taylor, Sally Pearson and Jana Pittman, amongst others, have competed in the past at Stawell.
Mr Irvine outlined the importance of women in the success of the Stawell Gift carnival, not only on the track, but in the organisation and operation of the event.
"Women play an integral role in the Gift, not only behind the scenes, but on the ground," Mr Irvine said.
Joan MacPherson is an example of one lady who shines at Easter, making all the Gift colours and doing her best to promote the carnival.
Back on the track, prizemoney for the Strickland Family Women's Gift is vastly lower at $2500 for the winner, compared to the $40,000 in the Australia Post Stawell Gift.
However, the SAC is pursuing ways to improve the disparity and is actively seeking new sponsorship to raise the profile of the Strickland Family Women's Gift as well as other races.
The Women's Gift first started as a 100 metre handicap back in 1989 before it was changed to 120 metres in 2006 to be the same length as the main race.
This year the Women's Gift was won by Ballarat sprinter, 17 year old Holly Dobbyn, while runner up was Ararat teenager Sarah Blizzard.
"It showcases the best runners from around the country and gives women a profile as part of our sport," Mr Irvine said.
The profile of women has had a steady rise in recent years with the introduction of Ladies Day, held on Easter Saturday at Central Park.
There is Fashions on the Field and a showcase of local designers, plus free wine on arrival for all ladies who enter the Central Park gates.
Fashion and athletics collided in 2012, with Melissa Breen taking out the Driscoll, McIllree & Dickinson Fashions on the Field on Saturday before going on to win the Women's Gift two days later.
"There is so much more to the Stawell Gift than the racing," Breen said prior to this year's carnival.
Mr Irvine said that the Ladies Day adds to the appeal of the carnival.
"It is keenly contested and we've now altered the sequence of events so that the ladies run their heats later on in the day, so those who want to compete in the Fashions on the Field can," he said.
Following the unveiling of both the stone wall and honour roll, SAC has a long-term vision for honouring female athletes with suggestions of a walk of fame, similar to the one that currently runs along both sides of Stawell's Main Street.
Anyone who has contact details or information about previous Women's Gift winners, or is interested in sponsorship, can call Wendy at the Stawell Gift Hall of Fame on 5358 1326.