NEWS RELEASE
CAMBRIDGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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The amazing achievements of local not-for-profits, charities and service clubs will take centre stage after a nearly three-year absence on Monday, Nov. 28 at the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce’s Cambridge and North Dumfries Community Awards.
The awards, which have not been held since 2019 due to the pandemic, will celebrate the hard work undertaken by the volunteers and staff of these organizations since that time in a variety of categories recognizing the impact they’ve made in the community, and their collaboration efforts and leadership skills.
Community leaders and their guests will be on hand at the Hamilton Family Theatre for the awards ceremony which is one of the Chamber’s most popular events and has honoured the contributions and achievements of these community builders since 2012.
“We created these awards to as a way to acknowledge how much we appreciate and admire these organizations and individuals and what they do to make our community a great place to call home,” said Cambridge Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Greg Durocher. “And it’s great that we can finally get the opportunity to recognize the work many of these dedicated groups have accomplished in the past two and half years.”
The Chamber’s adjudicating committee will painstakingly review a number of nominations to select the recipients in nine award categories. As well, an individual will be selected to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award.
“It was not an easy task to select just a few,” said Durocher, noting there were many worthy organizations and individuals among the nominees.
For more on our community awards, visit the website.
The award categories and nominees include:
Community Collaboration
• Ayr Community Theatre (Musical Theatre International Presents: All Together Now)
• Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region
• United Way of Waterloo Region (COVID Response)
• Waterloo Region Community Foundation (Trinity United Church project)
Community Leadership
• Amy Wells - MACS Manager, ACCKWA
• Brian Swainson – CEO, Sunbeam Community Development Services
• Dianne McLeod – Executive Director, Cambridge Food Bank
• Martha Wolf – Manager Employment and Income Support, Region of Waterloo
• Ruth Cameron – Executive Director, ACCKWA- AIDS Committee, Kitchener, Waterloo and Area
Community Impact
• ACCKWA (150 Main St.)
• Cambridge Food Bank (Mobile Food Market)
• Shelter Movers Waterloo Region
• Trinity Community Table
• YWCA Cambridge (The W, YWCA Cambridge)
Innovation in Learning
• JA of Southwestern Ontario (Waterloo Region)
• Leadership Waterloo
• The Literacy Group
• Waterloo Region Community Foundation
Healthcare Hero
• Julie Ropotyn – Co-Ordinator, CMH/CND COVID-19 Assessment Centre
• Dr. Laura Ostofe – Owner, Active Health Associates
• Ruth Cameron – Executive Director, AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Area
• Victoria Dilello – RPN, Cambridge Memorial Hospital
• Dr. Winnie Lee – Interim Chief of Staff and Chief of Diagnostic Imaging, Cambridge Memorial Hospital
Board Member Award
• Blayne Rennick – Board Member, Community Living Cambridge
• Kristen Danson – Past Chair, Cambridge Food Bank
• Maxwell Shiffman – Board Chair, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Waterloo Region
• Virginia Ginny Tamblyn – Fundraising Chair, Cambridge Symphony Orchestra
Volunteer of the Year
• Campbell MacCormick – Community volunteer, assisting with Mobile Food Market, special events, Bingo, and warehouse work for the Cambridge Food Bank
• David Krupp – Meals on Wheels driver for Community Support Connections
• Kate Neff – Fund Development Manager for Shelter Movers Waterloo Region
Organization of the Year - Under 10 Employees
• Downtown Cambridge BIA
• Food4Kids Waterloo Region
• Muslim Women of Cambridge
• Preston Heights Community Group
• Shelter Movers Waterloo Region
Organization of the Year- 11 and Over Employees
• Cambridge and District Humane Society
• Community Support Connections
• Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region
• Porchlight Counselling and Addiction Services (formerly Family Counselling Centre of Cambridge and North Dumfries
• YMCA of Three Rivers
• YWCA Cambridge
Lifetime Achievement Award
Will be awarded to an individual who, over the past 15 years or more, has made significant contributions to the community and has improved the quality of life for citizens or whose accomplishments have brought recognition to the Waterloo Region.
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