A man who’s volunteered countless hours has been named Edmonton’s top cop for 2017.
The Kiwanis Club of Edmonton – Oil Capital has presented Const. Michael Zacharuk with its 2017 Top Cop award.
Among the initiatives Zacharuk has volunteered for have been the Londonderry Junior High School outdoor education program, local and provincial search and rescue teams and with sheltering efforts for the city’s vulnerable and homeless.
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Zacharuk was passionate about the outdoors as a child when he was a boy scout, which has motivated him to provide similar experiences for kids.
Zacharuk has volunteered as an outdoor education instructor at Londonderry Junior High School for 18 years. He’s taught students how to survive in the wilderness and helped organize over 50 trips into the backcountry.
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On behalf of Zacharuk, a $1,000 donation is going to the Londonderry Junior High Parents Association to help with the costs of running the school’s outdoor program.
Zacharuk has also worked closely with the city’s homeless population since joining the Edmonton Police Service in 1999, which has included searching for missing persons and preventing hypothermia among the homeless.