Time running out to nominate Morinville volunteers

Editor’s note: The Morinville News has once again set up a Volunteer Award Nominations page to assist our readers in putting forth worthy recipients. Qualifications and nomination e-mail links can be found by clicking here.

volunteer night 1

By Stephen Dafoe

Morinville – People have until Friday to nominate local volunteers for recognition in a number of categories. Nomination deadline for this year’s Town of Morinville’s Volunteer Appreciation Awards is Friday at 4:30 p.m. 
 A Volunteer Appreciation Night will be held at the Morinville Community Cultural Centre Apr. 26 when this year’s winners will be presented with their awards.

“We are quite satisfied with the way the Volunteer Appreciation Night is shaping up and are particularly pleased with the amount of nominations we have received thus far, but we can always use more,” said Allen Jacobson, Morinville’s Community Development Coordinator / Event and Volunteer Specialist.

Nominations may be submitted by fax at 780 939 7889, on-line at www.morinville.ca or by e-mailing kdebenham@morinville.ca. Nominators can also do so via the Volunteer Awards Page on MorinvilleNews.com. Nominators are asked to provide detailed information as to why they are nominating the particular person they feel are worthy of receiving the award.

Multiple categories

This year’s award ceremony recognizes eight categories of award – five from the community and three from community groups or businesses. The Town will present awards for Volunteer of the Year, Youth Volunteer of the Year, Volunteer Family, Unsung Hero, and Coach or Mentor of the Year. Additional awards include the Morinville Lions Club’s Citizen of the Year, the Seniors’ Rendez-Vous Club’s Heritage Award, and the Morinville News’ Community Spirit Award.

Volunteer of the Year recognizes an active volunteer for their generosity of spirit, leadership and enthusiasm in one or more community projects during 2012, while Youth Volunteer of the Year recognizes those same attributes among volunteers under the age of 18. New this year is the Volunteer Family Award, given to a family who is actively passing the spirit of volunteerism on to the next generation.
The Town will also once again present the Unsung Hero Award, an award recognizing a local person, club or business that demonstrates true commitment to making a difference in the community by working to build a sense of community.

Recognizing the outstanding qualities of inspiration is the Town’s Coach or Mentor of the Year, an award that rewards commitment, attitude and leadership in the community.

The Morinville Seniors’ Rendez-Vous Club is also accepting nominations for the Heritage Award, which recognizes a community member’s long-standing service with any volunteer organization within the town of Morinville. Nominations are not accepted posthumously and nominees must not have been recognized in any fashion previously.

The Morinville News Community Spirit Award will once again be presented to an individual who unites the community together through their participation, involvement and promotion of the community. The award seeks to recognize the member of the community who may otherwise escape the recognition they deserve.

Citizen of the Year is an annual award presented by the Lions Club and recognizes the nominee’s volunteerism as far back as the preceding decade. Nominations for this award may be mailed or emailed to the Lions Club or dropped off at the Community Services Department at the Morinville Community Cultural Centre. Nomination letters should include the nominee’s community group involvement, length of residency in Morinville, accomplishments in the past year with a volunteer organization, previous accomplishments over the past decade, and individual and family achievements.

Annual gala

Jacobson said the annual Volunteer Appreciation Night event will be somewhat pared down from last year; a number of awards have been removed because the committee felt there was some overlap between awards. What has not changed is the Town of Morinville’s commitment to making the evening’s focus that of thanking the community’s many volunteers.

Added to the mix this year will be a standalone plaque that will carry the names of all award winners, to be added to in subsequent years. Jacobson said a location to display the plaque has not been chosen but Town Hall or the library might be two possibilities.

Jacobson said the Apr. 26 event would include a meet and greet with light food and refreshments from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The awards ceremony is scheduled to run from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will be followed by a meet and greet until 9 p.m. In keeping with the shadow theme for this year, a shadow puppet workshop for children will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Additionally, there will be art displays and entertainment throughout the event.

Editor’s note: The Morinville News has once again set up a Volunteer Award Nominations page to assist our readers in putting forth worthy recipients. Qualifications and nomination e-mail links can be found by clicking here.

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