Kia Motors Australia Supports a Saint

SYDNEY – Sept 15, 2010: It was a night which shone with the light of luminaries, when leaders of religion, politics, business and the arts gathered to honour Australia’s first Saint and provide some worldly support for the Mary MacKillop Foundation.

Among the 750 guests at the celebration dinner at Sydney Town Hall was Prime Minister Julia Gillard who spoke of the privilege of living in a country where religious freedom was practised every day.

“For all Australians who share a country in which we put freedom of religion into action everyday by respecting each other’s believes it is a time of celebration,” said Prime Minister Gillard. “Whether you believe Mary MacKillop’s a saint, whether you believe she was a great Australian pioneer providing education to kids who needed it, whether you believe both – this is a moment to celebrate.”

The Prime Minister promised $1.5 million to assist the canonisation celebrations and the Mary MacKillop Foundation and while the invited guests at the August 5 event enjoyed a meal from leading Australian chefs Luke Mangan and Guy Grossi the fund raising continued apace.

Kia Motors Australia and Peter Warren Kia, Liverpool, joined the celebration by donating a Rio S manual to the auction held to raise fund for the foundation.

The Kia Rio is modern inside and out with European inspired design and matched with features like iPod and Bluetooth connectivity. It has recently found itself in greener pastures following a recent upgrade which saw it meet the requirements of a more stringent emissions standard. The newer, greener Rio now wears a five-star eco rating and has earned a place in the top 20 “green cars” according to the Green Vehicle Guide, an Australian Government initiative.

All proceeds raised from the Mary MacKillop Celebration Dinner event will go towards the canonisation celebrations, the coordination of celebratory events, the development and distribution of educational materials surrounding the event and will also help fund a contingent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and youth representatives attend the canonisation ceremony in Rome.