The shining stars of Morinville’s volunteer community were applauded last Friday during the town’s annual awards ceremony.
Walking home with the main prize of the evening was Sturgeon County resident Carol Kaup. She was chosen as the Morinville Lions Club Citizen of the Year award for her tirelessness in volunteering within Morinville and throughout the larger Sturgeon County community over the last 20 years. That includes being on the board of the Seniors Rendez-Vous Centre, among numerous other causes.
“She’s a very friendly lady. She’s outgoing, always around town doing different things,” said Deborah Robillard, the president of the Morinville Lions Club. “You always see her at different events. She’s always promoting whatever group that she happens to be volunteering for. She’s always out and about.”
Kaup was also one of 29 nominees to be fęted with a 2016-17 Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award during the Sturgeon Proud Awards Night, also held last week.
The Paul Krauskopf Community Spirit Award was presented to both Lucie Roy and Hands Across the Sea (HATS). Robillard said that Roy, like Kaup, is active in a number of organizations and not all within the town limits.
“She’s been around all over the place. Just about every non-profit organization that’s here in town … she’s been a part of. She’s always in and helping out. Even if she’s not quite a part of what’s going on, a lot of them come to her asking, ‘How should we do this? What should we do? Do you know of any grants we can get?’”
HATS supports the Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. They help provide assistance to millions and millions of African grandmothers who, because of the AIDS epidemic, have become the caregivers to their orphaned grandchildren.
Madeline van Brabant received the Heritage Award for volunteerism and work with organizing floor curling tournaments and events.
Robillard is thrilled to be able to offer recognition to these people who do so much to help others.
“It’s wonderful. Me being the president of the Morinville Lions Club, a non-profit organization, I understand exactly why these individuals are doing what they’re doing. You’ve got to have a lot of heart. You’ve got to be very unselfish to be able to give so much of your time for these people. For me, handing out these awards to these individuals who have done that is wonderful. It puts a smile on your face.”
The awards have recently been opened up to include nominees who reside in Sturgeon County.
“They don’t just help out within Sturgeon County; they help out here in the community in town. We’ve opened it up to have a broader scope. Like I say, even here in town a lot of the things that we do here in town don’t just affect those who live here.”
