Province recognizes 15 volunteers with Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal

Fifteen volunteers from across the province were awarded the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal on Tuesday.

Lt.-Gov. W. Thomas Molloy presented the medals at a ceremony held at the Hotel Saskatchewan in Regina.

Recipients of the medal are:

• Christine Boyczuk, Moose Jaw
• Ben Buhler, Osler
• David Burke, Kindersley
• Janet Caldwell, Meadow Lake
• Nelson Eng, Regina
• Rev. Alvin Hingley, Humboldt
• Syl Kulyk, Saskatoon
• Ivadelle Kulyk (posthumous), Saskatoon
• Myrna Nagy, Prince Albert
• Teena Polle, Prince Albert
• Edna Poncelet, Grandora
• Barb Ryan, Regina
• Mary Walters, Pilot Butte
• Robert Dumur, Fort Qu’Appelle, 2017 recipient
• Audrey Heit, Kindersley, 2017 recipient

“By donating their time and energy, volunteers give hope and optimism to the organizations they serve,” Molloy said.

“These impressive recipients are proof that everyone has the power to make a difference, and by giving back to our communities, they are inspiring a new generation of volunteers in our province.”

The province began handing out the medals in 1995 to recognize the work of the many dedicated volunteers in Saskatchewan.

Rev. Alvin Hingley has been extra busy from helping to deal with the impact of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in April 2018.

“Being from Humboldt and after a year of labouring under grief and loss, I see this (award) as a positive for the community. We are all together, we are Humboldt Strong and this is part of our strength,” Hingley said.

“The satisfaction in volunteering is the reward. To realize that somebody else recognized what you were doing to the extent of this happening, makes me feel what I did was appreciated.”

Tuesday’s recipients join the ranks of 204 volunteers recognized since its inception.

The ceremony coincides with National Volunteer Week,  April 7-13, proclaimed by the Canadian government.

For more information regarding the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal visit www.saskatchewan.ca/honoursawards.