Former board member David McGee was also recognised with the ClubsNSW Honorary Fellowship, for the work he has put into the club and the time he served on the board.
The awards ceremony was held in Sydney on Saturday night.
The Deniliquin RSL Club was recognised for its 27 year involvement with the Deniliquin Rotary/Edward River Art Society Easter Art Exhibition, which attracts visitors to Deniliquin and provides a platform for artists from across Australia to display their talents.
The award also recognises its 22 year involvement with the Deniliquin RSL Fishing Classic, which injects almost $1.5 million into the local economy, and the 2019 Easter ‘Kids4Kids’ charity day which raises money for the Royal Children’s Hospital.
RSL Club vice chairman John Jansen said the awards not only highlight the club’s community involvement, but supports those making a difference on the ground and behind the scenes.
He said the club had built itself into a cornerstone of the Deniliquin business and social fabric with a focus on continuously supporting the local community.
‘‘Our club is probably the centre of the community and certainly the entertainment hub,’’ he said.
‘‘We work hard to offer as much as we can, from letting our spaces for free, supporting sporting and creative arts, sponsoring people, groups and awards and we are proud of that involvement.
‘‘I have been applying for these awards for about five or six years because I think the club needs to be recognised for the support and work we do in our community,’’ he said.
‘‘In my opinion, if you put effort in to anything, you need the recognition to keep going and when you receive that, people are more willing to continue supporting you.
‘‘Everyone at the club and our volunteers do an amazing job and I am proud to be able to reward them with the recognition they deserve.’’
Mr Jansen said he was pleased Mr McGee finally received the ‘‘recognition he deserves’’ for his achievements and dedication to the club.
‘‘The members of our board are very valuable so it is always great to see them recognised,’’ he said.
‘‘None of them get rewarded for the work they do and they are all volunteers.
‘‘But without them, or any volunteers, we could not run facilities, events, groups and most of all, we could not support our community the way we do.
‘‘I am proud of David and grateful for his dedicated work on the board and I am proud of our club for the continuous community involvement and support.
‘‘I think everyone in the club should congratulate themselves for their hard work and know they are making a difference in their local community.’’
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