Ashcroft and Cache Creek have just as many - or more - exemplary citizens as anywhere else in BC, whether in big cities or small towns. Some have been recognized with provincial awards, a few receiving national honours.
The Ashcroft & District Rotary Club wants to make sure that the towns recognize as many good citizens as possible with their annual Citizen of the Year award.
“Nominations seem to be slowing down,” says Rotary president Karma Kubbernus. “We aren’t getting the amount we had the first few years.”
It’s not for the lack of outstanding citizens in both communities. There are always local citizens who go above and beyond the normal day to day activities, either in volunteer work or customer service in other areas.
“We’ve left the scope of qualifications quite open,” sayd Kubbernus. “We’re looking for people who’ve had an impact on their community as volunteers or in customer service.”
There are always hard-working residents in both communities who might be recognized if someone would nominate them.
But nominations are limited to residents of either Ashcroft or Cache Creek because those are the areas that make up the local club.
She says they have never disqualified a nominee, and she can’t think of anything that would.
People wishing to nominate others can send Kubbernus an email or letter about the person they wish to nominate, saying who it is and why they are nominating them. The nominator is also asked to include information about themselves “because they’re recognized at the same time,” she says.
“We have so may people who have won this award over the years, and so many are still active today,” she says. “They are strong community supporters.”
She says there are also a lot of citizens who go “unsung”, who don’t want to be recognized. She says the Rotary receives a lot of emotional endorsements for nominees.
However there are some who shun the public attention.
“I had one that I nearly had to wrestle to get to the event,” Kubbernus says, “and then she wouldn’t speak.”
“We have so many people who do so much for our community and we want to say thank you to them,” she says “- also on behalf of the people they’ve touched.”
This year’s Citizen of the Year luncheon takes place in February, with the community, as well as friends and family invited to take place and honour the Citizens. Both Interior Savings and Credit Union in Ashcroft and the Royal Bank of Canada in Cache Creek sponsor plaques where the names of the Citizens of the year are engraved.
If you have someone in mind who you think deserves to be recognized as Citizen of the Year, send your nomination to kkubbernus@interiorsavings.com or by mail to Rotary Club at Box 11, Ashcroft BC, V0K 1A0 by Dec. 3.