A community stalwart has fondly reflected on his time spent in the area as he had his wife look to relocate to begin a new stage of their lives.
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Retired optometrist of 40 years Albert Ravanello is heading south to be closer to family following decades of service Griffith.
Mr Ravanello was a member of a number of community boards and groups, including the Scalabrini Village board, the Griffith Food and Wine Club, Saint Patrick's, the Griffith Cycle Club, the Yoogali Club and more.
He has also played a part in instigating events and services, namely the Griffith Salami Festival and the establishment of the St Vincent's Community Private Hospital.
He was in the Griffith Food and Wine Club for 30 years, having served as president in the past, and it was this club which saluted him with a special farewell dinner last week.
He says he and his wife Tina, formerly of Leeton, are saddened to be saying goodbye to Griffith but hope to pay regular visits in future.
"We're sad to be leaving; we have many good friends here but my wife and I want to be closer to family who are in Canberra, Sydney and Woolongong," Mr Ravanello said.
"Because I was born in Queanbeyan, it will be a little like going back to my roots.
"The Food and Wine Club dinner was a great opportunity to share old memories and reflect on the club's strength."
Mr Ravanello said Griffith has always been good to he and his family, and he saw his involvement in a number of endeavours as a means to give back.
They included fundraising for facilities at Scalabrini Village when the outlet was in its infancy.
"At that time I was new to town and I saw the value in the facility and my involvement as a way to get to know people in the area," he said.
"In those days fundraising $20 or $30,000 was a big effort but we did it; there was less red tape for committees.
"Today I'm very proud of the facility, what we accomplished, and the fact I am a life member of that committee."
It was through his work with the Yoogali Club that he, Tony Fattorie and several others helped bring to life the iconic salami festival.
"The idea began at Yoogali and consisted of all the members bringing in some salami," he said.
"We'd have a few beers, some pizza, and award a trophy to the best product, with money raised going towards the Italian Museum.
"At some stage it moved to the Italian Museum and has become to big event it is known as today."
Mr Ravanello said a major fundraising effort helped cement a future for St Vincents Community Private Hospital.
"Myself and others had a fundraiser at the Yoogali Club and managed to get Channel Nine's Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson to the club to champion the cause," he said.
"As a result we managed to raise $250,000 in the one night. Being a part of that was definitely a major highlight of my time in Griffith."
He says he is grateful to have lived in a community-minded, safe city for so long.
"Raising kids here was great; they had a choice to play just about any sport they wanted, with the exception of ice hockey of course," he said.
"I'll miss so many things about Griffith, from it being a great place to ride your bike to the wonderful restaurants.
"I will miss Griffith dearly and I look forward to visiting in future."