The Rotary Club of Chestermere presented five residents with the 2019 Community Leadership and Volunteer Award.
“Every year our rotary club nominates and selects a number of individuals who have given generously to this community through their leadership and volunteer work,” Rotary Club President Elect Karen McKee said.
Originally, the Rotary Club of Chestermere had planned to invite the five recipients to a special rotary lunch in March. However, due to COVID-19, the meeting was postponed and then held on Zoom.
The recipients of the 2019 Community Leadership and Volunteer Award include Sherri Standish, and Betty Illingworth from the Senior Living Coalition, Mardi Oel from the Chestermere Regional Food Bank, Dr. Jed Snatic from Lifepath Wellness, and Alex Halat for his work in the Western Canada Pond Hockey Championship.
The recipients received a certificate and a special Rotary pin, the Rotary Tree of Life.
“This pin is significant in that our club has selected this special pin to be awarded to individuals who have shown outstanding leadership and volunteerism in our community. The image on this pin is a tree and its roots. It is meaningful in that without its strong, silent roots there would not be a tree,” McKee said.
Adding, “In this same way, the contribution that each of the recipients has given so generously to our community through their leadership and volunteer work helps to create the roots of a tree, the base that will anchor, nurture and support the trunk of the tree as it grows solid and strong, eventually branching out into lush vibrant leaves.”
To receive the Community Leadership and Volunteer Award recipients have to participate in either a Rotary Club of Chestermere or non-Rotarian community service which is of the benefit to a non-partisan and non-secular group, has demonstrated a service above self through leadership, volunteering or donation, cannot currently be a member of Rotary, and has to be nominated by a Rotary member while receiving the majority of votes from Rotary members.
“We feel that is important to recognize and thank individuals in our community who go above and beyond to be of help in the community. To be of service to humanity is so important in order to make our own community, and the global community, a better place. While Rotary does a lot of good service work both local and global, we recognize that we cannot be all things to all people, and we wish to recognize and honour other people’s good service work. Together we are all stronger,” McKee said.
“We are so very grateful that we have so many wonderful people in our community who value, honour and give their service to humanity,” McKee added. “We heartily thank the five recipients for the 2019 award.”
