The trophy shelf is filling up fast for one young St. Albert volunteer extraordinaire.
Katie Fitzgerald, who has already had a big and busy year of getting awards for her efforts, just pulled in a big one last Thursday. She was on hand during a special luncheon at the Crowne Plaza Chateau Lacombe Hotel in Edmonton last week to be one of only six Albertans to receive the 2013 Stars of Alberta Volunteer Award.
"It's really amazing to be recognized on that level!" she exclaimed. "To be grouped with the people I was is just really awesome! They're all really amazing people. Just to be in their category was so cool."
The Stars of Alberta Awards are designed to recognize Albertans who have contributed exceptional volunteer efforts. These individuals are the personification of community service by demonstrating outstanding initiative, leadership and creativity, serving as inspirational role models for others, and otherwise improving the quality of life for everyone in their communities and across the province.
The awards are presented annually on or close to December 5, also known as International Volunteer Day. They were presented by Heather Klimchuk, Minister of Culture. Premier Alison Redford was also in attendance at the ceremony.
Fitzgerald is well known in this community for her work with more than 40 organizations over her 10-year volunteer career. She is a founding member of Stand Out and Represent Inspiring the New Generation, is heavily involved with Second Chance Animal Rescue Society, and is on the board of directors for the St. Albert Community Information and Volunteer Centre. She is also a member of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Youth Advisory Council, a designation that is usually reserved for those 18 and over.
Since the start of this year, she has given more than 400 hours of her time to these and other causes. For her hard work, she has also won four other awards in that same amount of time: the St. Albert Rotary Service Above Self Award, the City of St. Albert Leaders of Tomorrow Award, the United Nations International Women's Day Award for Exemplary Service to the Community, and the Great Kids Award: Honourable Mention for Community Service.
Apart from all of that, she still keeps busy with her sports obligations and studies, keeping her honours standing in Grade 11 at Paul Kane High. Volunteering, she said, is something that she really loves and she always tries to surpass her own achievements in giving because she knows how much it means to people and how good it makes her feel.
"I'm just always trying to do something more: what can I do more? How can I do something bigger?"
She added that she has no plans on slowing down on her hectic pace of giving back to the community. "It's something I'll always do for the rest of my life."
She was nominated by Dustin Blumhagen, an instructor with the Alberta Distance Learning Centre. He explained that he knew that he had to put Fitzgerald's name forward as soon as he saw "this gigantic novel" of all of her accomplishments and ongoing volunteer activities.
"When going through the nomination process, I was thinking not only as a teacher, but as a father as well. When I look at all of the amazing work that Katie is doing for her community, I think that she represents what I hope my own three children will be like at that age."
Stars of Alberta
The 16-year-old was one of two youths, along with Sheliza Kassam of Calgary, to receive the award in the youth category. Adult recipients included Al Jones of Airdrie and Theresa Nuthall of Wanham. Senior recipients were Dr. David E. Hubert of Edmonton and Idrees Khan of Calgary.
Past recipients include Gareth Jones, the former St. Albert city councillor who has been an active volunteer with numerous local organizations and events including St. Albert Senior Citizens' Club (now the 50+ Club), the 2012 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games, the St. Albert Housing Society, and the 2011 Alberta 55 Plus Winter Games. He also founded numerous programs over the years, including St. Albert Victim Services, the St. Albert Bingo Association, and the St. Albert Rugby Football Club.
Nominations for the next Stars of Alberta Volunteer Awards will be open in May 2014. For more information, visit www.culture.alberta.ca.
