The deadline for nominations this year’s Volunteer Citizen of the Year Awards is fast approaching and organizers are scrambling to make sure they have enough nominees.
Next Friday at 5:00 p.m. gives people only nine more days. Considering how few have been received, Pat Phelan, the director of volunteer centre services at the Community Information and Volunteer Centre, is starting to sweat. She remains hopeful that people are just a little slow to submit, as usual.
“I don’t know of a community where the volunteers step up more than they step up in St. Albert,” began Phelan, noting that even the nominators step up. “At the end of the day, they do, but we certainly have to prod them.”
This is the 46th year that the awards have been held. Countless dozens of individuals and groups have been celebrated for their contributions to making St. Albert wonderful and keeping it that way over these many years.
Even Phelan sometimes can’t believe how lucky she is to get to know some of our amazing volunteers.
“The selection committee just scratches their heads at the calibre of nominations that we get.”
With volunteerism on the rise and the number of local charities and community organizations (all of which needing help) at an all-time high, it would seem like there would be a surfeit of names being put forward for this annual formal recognition.
Not so. It’s always a struggle to get nominations in, they say.
Vivian Leland, the centre’s co-ordinator of the awards, wistfully remembered the flood of names being put forward at the beginning.
“When we first started … we had over 120 applications for the youth awards because the schools were so involved,” she commented. “Last year we had about 40.”
It has been such a challenge that there wasn’t even an award presented to a youth for the Leaders of Tomorrow Awards in the 19 to 21 age category.
The other youth categories are 6 to 12, 13 to 15, and 16 to 18. Nominations can also come in for youth groups.
Otherwise, nominations can be made for adults for the Volunteer Citizen of the Year and businesses can be nominated for being volunteer friendly as well.
For more information or to obtain a copy of a nomination form, please call 780-459-6666 or visit www.stalbertcivc.com. An electronic version of the nomination can also be submitted through the website.
The awards banquet will be held on Saturday, May 4 at 10 a.m. at the St. Albert Alliance Church.
