By JESSE GRAHAM
HEALESVILLE’S shoe repair shop has received one of the Rotary Club’s highest honours, being awarded for its ethical and moral standards by the club last month.
Peter and Viviana from Heels-Ville Shoe Repairs and Birkenstock Sales were awarded the Ron Goding Excellence Award from the Rotary Club of Healesville on 7 April.
The award is presented each year to a business or organisation that the club considers to “adhere to the highest standards in business ethics and moral standards”.
The award is named after the late Ron Goding, a charter member and past president of the club, who represented the high standards businesses are awarded for currently.
Peter and Viviana received the award, a perpetual trophy and a painting by artist Denise Smith.
Jamie Clemente, a grandson of Mr Goding, presented them with the award.
Peter told the Mail that he and Viviana were “blown away” with the award.
“We just think it’s a reflection on what we’ve tried to do here, which is just be straight with people,” he said.
“It’s very humbling,” Viviana said.
Peter said the couple had come to town three and a half years ago, and, as Christians, had followed their faith here.
“We just basically prayed and asked God to show us where he wanted us,” he said.
Coming with $300 to their name, Peter and Viviana took to the building at the western end of town – and the townsfolk – immediately.
“When we came to the town, we fell in love with it,” he said.
“The people are contagious.
“It was like putting your foot in a gumboot full of warm sago.”
Since then, he said the shop had done a good trade in shoes and shoe repairs.
“We’ve probably had two people in the whole time that have been unreasonable, but the majority of people in this town are just brilliant,” Peter said.
