Cameron Penney
A total of 49 people from Rainy River District, including 19 from Fort Frances, were recognized by the province for their volunteer efforts at the 2016 Ontario Volunteer Service Awards held Friday night at La Place Rendez-Vous here.
Volunteers were saluted for their decades of service to a particular organization while youth were recognized for two or more years of volunteer service.
Sheila McMahon, executive director with the United Native Friendship Centre here, was recognized as one of the 11 recipients from across the province that were awarded the June Callwood Outstanding Achievement Award for Voluntarism.
“I was very humbled by it,” McMahon said.
“I guess as a volunteer, it’s something that you don’t really think about—getting awarded for the work that you do,” she added.
“You just work in the community and you do it.”
After receiving the award, McMahon highlighted the importance of volunteering.
“It gives you a sense of belonging,” she reasoned. “[And] when you’re volunteering, you meet great people.
“It gives you a sense of pride and that you can help people in the community.
“And the younger you can get the volunteers, the better,” McMahon stressed.
“I try to teach my grandchildren about helping out and volunteering, and my children do the same thing,” she noted.
“I think we need to pass that on to our younger generation.”
Arlene Georgeson was one of seven district residents to receive an award for 10 years of community service.
She has volunteered plenty of her time with the Fort Frances branch of the Canadian Cancer Society over the years.
“I think that I share this award . . . because I belong to Beta Sigma Phi and we have been doing the daffodil pins and flower sales for over 35 years, I think, in Fort Frances,” Georgeson recalled.
“I think that I was nominated, but I certainly share the award with all my sorority sisters who have also volunteered over the years,” she noted.
“I do a number of volunteer positions throughout the years and I enjoy it,” Georgeson enthused.
“I like the social aspect of it and I agree with what Sheila McMahon said, which is I do it for the community and to make the community a better place to live.”
Five volunteers from Community Living Fort Frances and District also received awards Friday night, including Denise Bliss, who has volunteered for 25 years.
“It’s kind of exciting,” Bliss enthused. “I volunteer for a great organization.”
Executive director Alanna Barr attended the ceremony to support the many volunteers.
“There’s so many organizations where their very existence depends on volunteers, and they work and they’re dedicated,” she remarked.
“Being part of the staff of an organization that has volunteers, I really appreciate the volunteerism coming in when we need them.”
Meanwhile, four students with the Fort Frances High School emergency medical responders received youth awards for more than two years of service.
“It feels really good,” enthused Jordan Bruyere. “I’m quite proud of what I have done to get this.
“At the start of high school, I wasn’t in many clubs or anything,” he noted.
“But I heard about the First Responders over the intercom and they were saying they had a meeting coming up, so I decided to check it out.
“I started helping with preparations to train and I started learning a lot of stuff,” Bruyere added.
Although the awards for this year just were handed out, community members already can look towards nominating volunteers for next year.
Nominations for the 2017 Ontario Volunteer Service Awards are open until Jan. 25.
Applications can be filed online at www.ontario.ca/honoursandawards
