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We would not be able to do any of the stuff we do with kids whether or not it wasn’t for any support we get from local business people within our community. This is not a shameless plug for the sponsors, just recognition that the whatever were capable to achieve in Dulwich Hill has become a 2010 team effort between church and community.

People often ask me, “I think the church insures this all, do they”. I inform them straight, which our little church in Dulwich Hill hasn’t ever had time to afford the minimum wage with regards to priest, understanding that the Church with a capital ‘C’ (ie. the Anglican Diocese of Sydney) has contributed beside nothing. No. Nearly all our support is produced by the three local pubs – the Gladstone, the Royal Exchange, and also the Henson Park Hotel – and from the local RSL club (Petersham). The entire content of it we get through the Christians vs. Lions fight nights we place on, and through other community events (eg. the Mayor’s golf day, the annual community Street Fair, etc.).

It wasn’t always this easy. In early years we really struggled to maintain the Youth Centre open. Then we caught the interest of just one corporate benefactor, who was effective in keeping us going long enough for many people to put other support into position. That benefactor was Ray Williams, former chief executive of HIH insurance Body of the extremely gentle, caring, and humble men I’ve ever met, and currently on the list of least popular men in the country.

It is amazing to me once i think it over. The very best people I’ve ever met are those with terrible reputations. In each case of course their reputations have been largely media-generated.

When my mate Jim got shot, one of the main Sydney newspapers ran story entitled “Evil Villain Gunned Down”. It featured a perception of Jim carrying a computerized weapon. The photo ended up being taken a long time earlier during Jim’s time with the Australian Army. I figured ‘You bastards! That isn’t the person I understand.’

When Morde was on trail in Israel I just read a variety of articles that spoke about him as a general sophisticated spy – employed by the Arabs and to destroy his country. I believed ‘You bastards! You don’t have any idea who you are dealing with.’

Now I just read stories about Ray – about how precisely he manipulated the marketplace to line his or her own pockets and in what way he deliberately defrauded many people, and again ‘You bastards’.

Ray was sent by God that can help us. We have little doubt this. I first met him by way of a fight I took, though Ray himself was no fan of boxing.

The story of that fight was at itself quite bizarre.

I had been sitting using the Archdeacon inside my office one afternoon. He was wagging his finger at me and telling me that I’d must close on the Youth Centre. “You just do not have sufficient money to help keep it going” he explained. And then he was right. We had arrived exactly $1000 lacking paying our youth worker’s wage for the month. I’m feeling rather nonchalant about this all and was telling him to get more faith. At just that moment Kon, my trainer, found the entranceway.

“Dave, if you’d like to create a pro fight?” he asked. “No” was my knee-jerk reaction. I’d just completed my fight career (I’d thought) with a shot in the NSW super-welterweight title in kickboxing. What the law states during this state back then was you had to hang up your gloves while you turned 35. I’m 34 and nine months at that stage. “How much will they be offering?” Specialists Kon. “$1000″ he explained. I told him I’d go on it. We raised all-around $50,000 for that Youth Centre using that fight. Over fifty percent of that money came through Ray.

Some guy by the name of Jeff Wells wrote a write-up about my fight that’s published from the Sydney Morning Herald one Saturday. There after, cheques at as up to $1000 started arriving while in the mail! And the other morning a courier got here with two cheques Body for $10,000 inside name of HIH insurance, and another for $15,000 within the name of the Mr R. Williams. Walking out to trembling while i received these cheques. I’d not witnessed a whole lot money before in my life.

I needed never read about Ray Williams, but his business card was attached, i really rang the number but happened to be one particular classic receptionist voices, saying “Mr Williams is busy currently. Should i create a message?” I quickly mentioned my name and all of intense I’m talking to Ray.

“Ah … hi … can i know you?” I began. “No. I wouldn’t think so,” he said. “You’ve just sent me cheques for $25,000″ I said. “Yes” he was quoted saying. “Um … have you been a neighborhood from around here? Have you been watching our work?” Gurus. “No” he said. “Well … do you think you’re linked to the church or with youth work around here?” “No” he said. “Well … are you a fight fan?” Industry experts, scratching for most point of connection. “Not at all” he explained. “I read a short article your self while in the Herald also it looks like you needed some assistance.” “Yeah, I do” I said. “Well, will which help?” he asked. “Oh yeah” I said, “that’ll help.”

That’s how our relationship began. Through the years that followed Ray took a passionate interest in our work. As things at HIH became tighter, we didn’t get any further support on the company, but Ray himself would certainly yield to fundraiser fight nights, and that he wouldn’t leave before slipping us an inspection from from his or her own funds. It’s what kept us going each of us wanted more stable sponsorship through the neighborhood. We owe a great deal to Ray.

And yes it wasn’t exactly the money. It had been the man too. He was inspiring as part of his humility.

In the time the very first donation there were someone in our church who worked as among the chief accountants from the public hospital system. “Oh yeah” he explained to me one Sunday. “If it wasn’t for Ray Williams, half the hospitals in Sydney can be closed.” And he added “but he never likes to have his name mentioned. He hates the limelight”

We found this for being entirely true. We managed to get him on stage once offer a trophy to at least one your fighters, but it really would have been a tough job. He really hated staying in the main attraction. It’s one important thing which makes this Royal Commission so odious to him.

I still can’t believe what sort of media have gone after him – vigorously attacking him for his generosity to hospitals and charities. It’s not as if he was giving out money which will have done insurance claimants. If he hadn’t given it away, I guess may well have slightly increased the dividend paid to your shareholders, anf the husband himself should have been among the list of largest shareholders. I still believe that it is preposterous to think that this media ought to have acted so self-righteously indignant with the fact that this poor shareholders were losing potential income as it had gone on the children’s hospital. It is just ridiculous.

Nonetheless it wasn’t precisely the media that crucified Ray. When the news about HIH’s collapse became public knowledge, former colleagues deserted him, old friends and associates turned their backs on him, and charities that he’d been supporting for decades all of a sudden didn’t would like to know him. Ray ended up within the board in the Children’s Hospital for as long as anybody could remember. They sent him directions saying ‘thank you your services are no longer required’. Nobody waited for any link between the Royal Commission. Nobody waited to see if perhaps he wasn’t the important villain from the piece. Everyone distanced themselves, not wanting their own personal reputations to generally be tarnished.

I seriously can’t know that attitude. I realize I’m able to perform some stupid and selfish things, but deserting a mate in his use of require is undertake and don’t. Whenever i think of all of the people who Ray should have helped in the past, I just can’t believe undertake and don’t shown to ring him up and say ‘How have you been going, Ray. Perhaps it’s my use present you with some support?’

Anyway, my point here’s to not spit my dummy. And I’ll be the first to admit that I will not have a hint about big business, insurance laws, or anything in the sort. But I know a very good man whenever i meet one, and Ray Williams is an effective man and someone whom I’m proud to call my friend. And I shall be buggered if Allow me to stand by and pay attention to people pouring crap out on a mate of mine without saying anything.

For being truthful, I wouldn’t expect that Ray is ever going to fully regain his former reputation or standing. I realize too much about how exactly the media works and approximately how our court system actively works to ever expect real justice. Similar to my friends Jim and Morde, I’m not really holding my breath watching for reality to be released. No. I’ll look for the afternoon in the event the kingdom with this world can become the kingdom of our Lord and Christ. When that day comes, every one of the crap are going to be dealt with.

You could have just read an excerpt from ‘Sex, the Ring & the Eucharist’, a novel by ‘Fighting’ Father Dave Smith – Parish Priest, community worker, professional fighter, father of three.

Dave could be the only Australian in Holy Orders to turn pro boxer to support fund his work. He’s Parish Priest in Dulwich Hill, carries a sixth-degree fighting techinques black belt, and it has received numerous awards for his help teenagers.