Volunteers contribute to the richness of life in King

May 7, 2013 · 0 Comments

By Mark Pavilons
In the midst of the elaborate ceremony created to pay tribute to King Township’s volunteers, one sentiment among them was consistent – they do it to fill a need and not for notoriety.
King’s tireless volunteers were honoured during the annual Community Showcase and Volunteer Appreciation Night, held May 1 at Kingbridge Centre.
Their efforts not only contribute to the fabric of life in King, they are quite valuable from a financial perspective.
Ward 2 Councillor Peter Grandilli pointed out: “You save the Township a lot of money. Keep on doing it!”
While it received a huge amount of laughter from the packed house, Grandilli hit the nail on the head – the Township simply can’t afford to provide the breadth of beneficial services and activities carried out by volunteers.
Admittedly his favourite event of the year, Mayor Steve Pellegrini said success in life is directly proportional to “what you do – after you do what’s expected of you.” He recognized each and every volunteer in King, noting the award recipients are chosen by the public during a nomination process, so the best praise comes from the community.
“This room is filled with exceptional, successful people who demonstrate their willingness to go above and beyond every day,” he told the crowd.
Volunteerism is essential to King. “Not only do your efforts create a foundation that defines the character of King, but they immeasurably enhance the quality of our community,” he said.
Councillors offered their personal thanks to the room filled with altruistic souls.
Linda Pabst said they’re the heart of this Township and she extended a thank-you to the volunteer firefighters.
Bill Cober said many residents don’t realize the volunteer efforts that take place each and every day, resulting in “rich events” that make up the fabric of the community.
Debbie Schaefer said the amount of creativity and hard work behind every event is “mind-blowing.”
Avia Eek stressed King couldn’t be able to provide the services and activities – that make King “home” – without volunteer dedication and generosity.
Pellegrini singled out executive assistant Teresa Barresi, who organizes and plans this, and most other Township events.
The mayor provided a recap of the Township’s Sustainability Plan, noting more than 50 internal initiatives and successes that align with the plan have been implemented to date.
Township clerk Kathryn Smyth read off an extensive list of local community groups and organizations that serve the municipality.
She also extended thanks to the wide support network that includes the volunteers’ spouses, families and co-workers.

Lifetime Achievement

Helping those in need is what drives the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Robert E. Campbell, a long-time volunteer with the St. Patrick Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, said every man, woman and child has a unique set of needs, which change during the course of our lives.
One common factor in his mission, and in fact all of our lives, is the need to treat others with dignity and respect.
The society and its members seek out the forgotten, feed the hungry and provide assistance to ease pain and suffering for those in need.
“If I achieved anything of significance it was by the grace of God and following in the footsteps of many fine people,” he said.
He said his personal inspiration has come from his wife Pauline.
Campbell served as president, vice-president and treasurer of the local conference. Resources for many charities have been stressed to the limit and he encouraged the public to give to help further their work.

Senior Citizen Award of Merit

This year, two residents received the Senior Citizen Award of Merit – Victor Warner and Jane Hepworth.
Warner is a long-time member of the King City Seniors’ Centre, looking after the badminton and shuffleboard programs. He’s also a member of the York Region 55+ Summer Games.
Hepworth has dedicated her time to the King City Seniors’ Centre and its board of management. Jane coordinated trips for the Travel Club and initiated a walking club for members.

Special Recognition
Award

The Special Recognition Award this year was given to an organization dedicated to supporting the needs of the community by providing bereavement and wellness programs, as well as those facing life-threatening illnesses. This year’s recipient was Hospice King Aurora.
Founded in 1983, Hospice King was the first volunteer community based hospice in Ontario. The name changed to Hospice King Aurora to reflect the growing area served and the addition of bereavement and wellness programs were developed to fulfill community needs.
Hospice-King Aurora provides support to people diagnosed with life-threatening illness and those who care for them. The hospice responds to the needs of the community by also providing wellness programs, community education and bereavement support for children and adults and is accredited with Hospice Palliative Care Ontario.
On hand accepting the award were Sheila Darnowski, executive director and Margarete Carr, board chair.
The 30-year-old organization receives 75% of its funding from community donations.

Youth Award of Merit

King’s young people hold the key to the future.
This year the efforts of Christopher Dushko and Olivia Parente were acknowledged.
Christopher participated in the Leaders in Training program and volunteered with young campers within the Township’s Parks, Recreation and Culture Department. Camp staff praised Chris, who always went above and beyond to ensure that the day ran smoothly.
Olivia assisted emergent readers and children through the King Township Public Library Reading Buddies program. Olivia has been instrumental in the development of a couple of her “buddies” and their parents have commented on the improvement with their children.