For five years Stephanie Ibrahim, 16, has been caring for her autistic brother, while juggling the demands of school. Last year her efforts saw her recognised as Young Carer of Victoria but this week she received another major prize, courtesy of Best Western and her mother.
Stephanie Ibrahim has been given 200,000 FlyBuys points, which she says, she will use to fund a well-earned holiday to New Zealand.
Stephanie's mother, Bernadette entered Best Western's Win a Share of One Million FlyBuys Bonus Points competition. Entrants were required to stay at a Best Western property and answer the question, "What would you do with 200,000 FlyBuys points?" Bernadette's answer was selected as one of five winners.
"I am so happy! I never win anything," Bernadette says. "I told my daughter as soon as I found out I'd won and I said, 'this is all about you!' I will give you all the points and you can do whatever you wants with them.' She cried because she was so happy and she said she will go on a holiday to New Zealand."
Karen Mellish, another of the five winners, said she would buy her kids an iPod each and treat her "dearly loved, husband" to a nice dinner, a cruise on Sydney Harbour and two tickets to Tasmania to go trout fishing – a reward for his years of hard work, during which she has "hardly ever seen him."
Jan Mitchell, another worthy winner said, "Being a carer for my sick and elderly parents, who haven't got the travel bug out of their system, I would…like to take them on little overnight stays." With her prize, Jan plans to take her parents to Goulburn, where all their six children were born, to give them a trip down memory lane. This will be the first of many small holidays to come, Jan says.
Kimi Anderson, General Manager of Sales and Marketing for Best Western Australasia says, "we are really pleased to see the prizes going to such deserving people. Best Western has always been a company that invests greatly in caring for our guests. We are happy to be able to extend this philosophy further."
All five competition winners will be receiving the 200,000 FlyBuys points in their accout within the next few weeks.
For more information on Best Western or to book accommodation at a Best Western property, call 131 779 (from Australia), 0800 237 893 (from New Zealand) or log on to www.bestwestern.com.au or www.bestwestern.co.nz
