The Rotary Club of Ashcroft-Cache Creek has announced its 2023 Citizens of the Year, who include a couple from Spences Bridge, two area youth, and well-known figures in Cache Creek and Ashcroft.
Now in its 19th year, the Citizens of the Year award recognizes people who have gone above and beyond in our region. The recipients for 2023 are:
Ashcroft and Area (sponsored by Interior Savings): Deb Tedford
Cache Creek and Area (sponsored by Royal Bank): Wendy Coomber
TNRD Area “I” Blue Sky Country (sponsored by the Thompson-Nicola Regional District): Marg and Arnie Oram
Student/Youth from any area (sponsored by Rotary): Monique Kopanyas and Evelyn White
Rotary Club past president Theresa Takacs says there were quite a few nominees from Ashcroft and Cache Creek. “Those places are well-represented. We need to figure out how to contact people from other areas of the TNRD for nominees, and residents of those areas are encouraged to nominate people.”
Deb Tedford has been involved with the Thompson View Manor Society, and has been instrumental in working to provide new housing for seniors. She is also heavily involved with the Ashcroft and District Hospice Society, and helps to coordinate the Suddenly One program, which provides outreach for people who have lost a partner or spouse. She has been in a leadership position with the Community Resources Society, and works with the E. Fry Society for things such as the “Ducks in a Row” event. “She’s friendly to all who approach her for information,” says Takacs.
Marg and Arnie Oram of Spences Bridge were nominated last year, and Takacs says the club members were glad they were nominated again this year: “They’re really involved in their community.” Marg has always been the background doer of things, such as the annual Christmas bazaar, where she coordinates the decorating.
For years Arnie, who served on the volunteer fire department for many years (some as chief), has been helping to provide an outdoor rink in Spences Bridge, getting up at 3 a.m. to water it. During the 2021 wildfires he helped ensure that a fire crew of 80 people had meals, which meant up to three sittings for the evening meal.
“Since they’ve retired, both have been really involved in their community,” says Takacs. “They’re selfless people, who loaned out their car to people who lost everything in flood.”
Takacs says that “Everyone knows Wendy Coomber.She’s done so much while she was a councillor, but it was hard to nominate her when she was on council. She’s done a lot in terms of leadership in her community, including the Cache Creek Market, Seedy Saturday, the handbell choir, the Beautification Society, and Communities in Bloom.” She has also served on the boards of the Friends of Historic Hat Creek and Gold Country Communities Society.
“I don’t know what the community would do without her,” says Takacs. “She’s always thinking in terms of community involvement.”
Evelyn White is a home-schooled Ashcroft student who spent last summer helping Anne McKague with her Butterflyway project in Ashcroft, planting butterfly-friendly gardens around town. “We were impressed that she helped out last year with our Citizens of the Year presentation, and with what Anne did,” says Takacs.
“One of Rotary’s focuses is the environment, and in addition to helping with the Butterflyway project, she and another person created a video to talk about pollinator gardens, to inspire our citizens to be more conscious of what we can do to create more eco-diverse and friendly environments. She’s also involved in Soup’s On, and got her FoodSafe certification to continue doing that.”
Monique Kopanyas of Ashcroft has been involved with Sea Cadets for six years, and has risen to the rank of Petty Officer First Class. She works as a dance instructor helping younger students, is captain of her high school volleyball team, has done choreography for the Winding Rivers Arts & Performance Society, and is involved in school leadership; she is also an executive member of this year’s grad committee, and is currently working on putting together the slideshow for the graduating class. That’s in addition to being part of the planning and budgeting for the graduation ceremony, prom, and the dry grad activities.
A ceremony to honour the 2023 Citizen of the Year recipients will take place on Thursday, May 9 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The event is tentatively scheduled to take place at the Cache Creek Community Hall, and will feature appetizers and desserts. The ceremony is open to everyone, and tickets will be on sale soon.
“We’re appreciative that this means something to people, and that they’re supportive of it,” says Takacs of the Citizens of the Year award.
“I really believe in focusing on what’s going right and on people who inspire us. All the people who were nominated are really inspiring, as far as I’m concerned, and I really appreciate the support for this whole endeavour.”