Nominations are being accepted until this Friday (March 11) for Port Coquitlam's 2011 Volunteer Recognition Awards.
This year's theme - "Volunteers juggle it all" - recognizes that volunteers make sacrifices in other areas of their life in order to support their community.
"These awards recognize that volunteers are juggling their families, jobs and other commitments for the benefit of others," Mayor Greg Moore said in a city press release. "We're all busy but volunteers make time for our community."
Nominations are being accepted in six categories: Arts, Heritage and Cultural Awareness; Caring and Safety; Environmental Protection and Enhancement; Sports and Recreation; Youth Programs; and U21 (youth under age 21).
Nominees can be any age and do not have to live in Port Coquitlam. They cannot have previously received an award from the city and must meet at least one of these criteria:
their unpaid volunteer contributions provide extraordinary help or care to families or groups in Port Coquitlam;
they continually commit their time, talent and energy, without pay, to improve the quality of life in Port Coquitlam;
or they have been voluntarily involved in a program or project that has had a lasting benefit for Port Coquitlam and its residents.
Terasen Gas has sponsored the awards and the tribute evening, to be held April 12 during National Volunteer Week. At that event, all 2011 nominees will receive a commemorative pin and certificate, along with an invitation to the volunteer recognition awards and tribute at Riverside secondary school. Award recipients will receive a personalized etched-glass trophy and will have their names added to the volunteer "honour roll" at city hall.
The city offers the following tips for nominators:
For a successful nomination, take the time to co-ordinate supporting materials in addition to filling out the nomination form. The nomination form includes ideas about what to include. The awards are intended for individuals; nominations for couples will not be considered.
Visit the Volunteer Recognition Awards page at www.portcoquitlam.ca/volunteer" for more information and a sample nomination.
The nomination deadline is March 11 at 4 p.m. Nomination forms are available online at www.portcoquitlam.ca/volunteer as well as at city hall (2580 Shaughnessy St.), PoCo rec complex (2150 Wilson Ave.), Hyde Creek rec centre (1379 Laurier Ave.) and Terry Fox Library (2470 Mary Hill Rd.).
For more information, visit the website, call 604-927-5410 or email [email protected].
