Community Leader Awards 2020 by KamloopsThisWeek

2020

WEDNESDAY, June 24, 2020

www.kamloopsthisweek.com

A COMMUNITY OF LEADERS W

elcome to the second annual Kamloops This Week Community Leader Awards! There’s no doubt about it — Kamloops is a community of leaders. From the sports fields to the boardrooms to the front lines of countless community events, it’s the spirit of Kamloops’ leaders that makes our causes succeed and our community shine. There are several ways to recognize excellence in Kamloops all year round. For businesses, there’s the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards in October or the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of Central Interior’s Keystone Awards in February. For individuals, the City of Kamloops has several honours, such as the Exemplary Service Awards it hands out every spring, along with rarer honours, including the Freedom of the City and the Pioneer Spirit Awards. The sports scene is well supported with awards from many associations, including the Kamloops Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony held in May, while the arts scene celebrates its own at the Mayor’s Gala for the Arts each January. Despite all these wonderful awards, we did see a gap that needed filling – a program to recognize people who demonstrate leadership behind the scenes. That’s what prompted us to create the Kamloops This Week Community Leader Awards and to look among our many entrants for winners that haven’t yet been recognized for their work. That was also the thinking behind the categories we created. We wanted to ensure people who demonstrate leadership behind the scenes, whose effect is felt as much as it is seen, would be given the chance to shine. Here are the categories we’re recognizing some very worthy Kamloopsians again this year:

COACH:

Makes a positive contribution to their sport. Is exemplary in developing skills and confidence in participants. A role model who inspires and encourages high athletic achievement.

COMMUNITY BUILDER:

Someone who has taken the initiative to engage a variety of local residents in an innovative or new community project or event. The initiative may assist different groups to work together, address a gap in community participation, or result in a more inclusive, engaged community.

VOLUNTEER:

This individual makes a positive contribution to the community by volunteering their time to a variety of causes. They are dedicated to making a difference in several initiatives.

Dave Eagles/KTW

Wayne Richardson of Runners Sole, sponsor of the Volunteer Award, with Julie Dormer, winner of the Volunteer Award, KTW Operations Manager Tim Shoults and Karen Watt of Excel Personnel Solutions at last year’s KTW Community Leader Awards luncheon.

YOUTH VOLUNTEER:

A youth that is 19 or under that makes a positive contribution in the community through volunteering. Someone who has committed to making a difference to an organization or individual.

MENTOR:

Makes a positive contribution by being a true leader. An influential counselor, teacher or educator that provides support or sponsorship. Demonstrates a high level of ethics and professional standards, is an inspirational motivator, excellent communicator, good listener and a reliable resource to the community.

COURAGE:

This person has risen above adversity or formidable challenges to become a success. As a result, they have had a positive effect on the people around them.

This year, for our second edition, we’ve added two new categories to the mix:

FRESH IMPACT:

This person has been in Kamloops less than 3 years but is already making an impact in the community in a leadership position in business, volunteer work or other community involvement.

ENVIRONMENTAL LEADER:

Everyone is talking about the carbon footprint, but this award celebrates a person who is walking their talk, whether it be riding their bike to work year-round, reusing and reducing, and taking great steps in setting an example for others to follow.

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Like so many things in this tumultuous year, the nomination process was a very different one – but the quality of the individuals nominated was just as inspiring. And that’s the other criteria we kept in mind when selecting our inaugural winners — inspiring people with inspiring stories. It’s a pleasure and a privilege to be able to tell these stories in these pages and we’re confident you’ll find them as inspiring as we did. When you’re finished, we think you’ll feel even better about the community you call home. In our business, great ideas like this don’t come to life without the support of communityminded advertisers. We’re so pleased that seven local businesses stepped forward right away to say “yes” to this initiative to make it happen. Our sincere thanks go out to our new title sponsor, Nu Leaf Produce Market, and to the sponsors of each of our six award categories: • Soccer Quest, sponsor of the Coach Award; • Prestige Local Alarm Monitoring, sponsor of the Community Builder Award; • Runners Sole, sponsor of the Volunteer Award; • Chris Chan, Realtor, sponsor of the Mentor Award; • Emsland Insurance, sponsor of the Courage Award; • BC Wildlife, sponsor of the Youth Volunteer Award; • Absorbent Products, sponsor of the Environmental Leader Award; • Venture Kamloops, sponsor of the Fresh Impact Award. Please consider supporting their businesses as they support our awards and our community at large – it’s more important than ever now. Last year we celebrated our initial winners with a special in-person gathering at the Delta by Marriott downtown (as you see from the pictures on this page). We’ll be celebrating these worthy winners at a special in-person gathering later this year as COVID protocols permit – we look forward to that time when we can safely gather in person! In the mean time, enjoy reading all about these inspiring members of our community.

Chris Emsland and Holly Emsland, sponsors of Courage Award, with Chris Brochu, winner of the Courage Award, KTW Operations Manager Tim Shoults and Karen Watt of Excel Personnel Solutions at last year’s KTW Community Leader Awards luncheon.

— Tim Shoults Operations Manager, Kamloops This Week

Bhavana Deevanapalli, winner of the Youth Volunteer Award, speaks at last year’s first annual KTW Community Leader Awards lunch.

Dave Eagles/KTW

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COACH

— BRAD DALKE —

ith nearly four decades of coaching under his belt, Brad Dalke knows success is more than what happens in the pool. His coaching has helped local swimmers earn kudos on the national stage, but he is also proud of the people those swimmers become, the majority of whom (about 80 per cent) go on to post-secondary studies and give back to their communities. Many of them receive scholarships and swim for Canadian and American university teams. In fact, Dalke’s mantra is: “Building citizens one stroke at a time through the sport of swimming.” “This is sort of the vehicle, the commonal-

ity that brings us all together, is swimming, but life things like accountability, empathy, respect, all those different character traits that you’d find in good citizens is really the foundation from what we’re working from,” Dalke said. Dalke has received a KTW Community Leadership Award in the coaching category. He credits former swim coaches. Dick Zareck, a Prince George swim coach who passed away recently, was Dalke’s biggest influence. Dalke even became a math teacher, just like Zareck. “When I take a look at what I’m doing right now and what Dick did with me 40 years ago, I’m almost like a

mirror image of what he’s been able to do,” Dalke said. Three-time Olympian swimmer Ron Jacks and Prince George coach Jim Fowlie also mentored Dalke. Some alumni Dalke coached include: City of Kamloops male athlete of the year Colin Gilbert, who received a scholarship to swim in Denver; daughter Megan Dalke, who received a scholarship to swim for the UBC Thunderbirds in Vancouver; Ryley McRae, a member of the Canadian Junior National Team and Sarah Koopmans, who recently accepted a swimming scholarship to the University of Nevada Las Vegas, where she is expecting to swim beginning this fall.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Congratulations Brad Dalke!

Sponsored by

— JO BERRY —

he face of RunClub and Boogie the Bridge, Jo Berry is grateful to be honoured with KTW’s Community Leadership Award in the Community Builder category. “I always see leadership as being a support person, so I’m honoured,” she said. “It’s really humbling and really sweet. I’m really thankful for the recognition. I’m a big believer in service.” Berry was one of four founders of Boogie the Bridge in 1998. It started as a way to raise money for the community, and it’s grown into one of

Kamloops’ most popular annual events — and one of the city’s most successful community fundraisers. RunClub members and Boogie participants have described Berry’s enthusiasm as infectious. Anyone who has heard Berry speak likely knows what they mean. In recent years, Boogie participation has been near the 3,000 mark. Berry said she hopes to see the event continue to grow — up to about 6,000 participants annually. The 2020 Boogie was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Berry

is still looking for ways to help. “A community builder is someone who brings community together, and during this pandemic was a super important time to reach out and reach in for our community,” she said. “I think a community builder is someone who drives community development projects that bring that energy and that synergy together to help people. It’s someone who loves to bring people together and, for me, personally, it’s all about personal health and well-being — just developing projects that help people.”

It is an honour to recognize Jo Berry with the Community Builder Award.

It is the dedication of people like Jo that help make Kamloops such a strong and giving community.

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VOLUNTEER — TARA HOLMES —

amloops is well known as a city of dedicated volunteers. Tara Holmes is one of those community-givers. Since moving to Kamloops nearly 30 years ago from Rossland, she has come to know, and be known with the city as one of the first to sign up to volunteer, believing everyone should give back to their community. “It’s a no-brainer for me. I like to offer my skill set. There are people who volunteer way more than I do. I see them everywhere, and one thing seems to be consistent: quite often it’s the busy people who volunteer. “The rewards of volunteering are amazing.” Some of the non-profit volunteer activities Holmes has worked with are: Boogie the Bridge, Run Club coach, Rotary Ribfest, Canadian Mental Health

— Ride Don’t Hide, KTW Timeraiser, BC Interior Community Foundation, Habitat For Humanity, ASK Wellness — MX Judged and Operation Rednose. Her philosophy appears to contribute, give back and ba a positive inspiration to others — in her local community and beyond. Holmes has received a KTW community Leadership Award in the volunteer category. A unique area of volunteering Holmes does for many organizations is emceeing or announcing. She’s worked in the radio business for 30 years. She uses her skills to help out many worthwhile agencies at their events: emceeing at the finish line announcing at the Boogie the Bridge every year, the Junior Achievement Economics for Success event,

the Terry Fox Run, the BC Interior Community Foundation Gala, the Kamloops Therapeutic Riding Association Gala, the Habitat for Humanity House Party, the People in Motion Comedy tour, the ICCHA Wish Fundraising Gala, the SPCA Fur Ball and Kamloops International Film Festival. When she isn’t volunteering or working as owner of Holmes is Where the Heart is Matchmaking Ltd., a company that connects single people of all ages, she re-energizes by trail running, skiing, paddle boarding and playing Pickleball. Holmes believes, once you start volunteering you will feel great, and you’ll meet so many new people. “If everyone could just volunteer a little bit, imagine the difference that can be made.”

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

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Congratulations to TARA HOLMES who was chosen Kamloops Volunteer of the Year in the Community Leader Awards. The award is sponsored by Runners Sole, who value volunteers in their community.

WEDNESDAY, June 24, 2020

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YOUTH VOLUNTEER

Sponsored by

— DIMITRI & GABBY ARMSTRONG —

hey did it for the animals, not the accolades. But two Juniper Ridge siblings have nevertheless been honoured for their effort in helping the BC Wildlife Park’s bottom line. Gabby and Dimitri Armstrong have been handed the Youth Volunteer Award in the inaugural KTW Community Leader Awards. Gabby, 12, and Dimitri, 10, were singled out for their ongoing bottle collection effort that has raised in excess of $10,000 for the wildlife park, which is in a cash crunch due to having to close until June 1 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s just incredible,” Gabby told KTW. “All we were doing was helping the animals. We weren’t hoping for an award. We didn’t want anything. It was just all to give back for the animals.” When KTW called, the news was indeed new for Dimitri. “This is the first I have heard of it and I am really amazed and proud of everyone,” he said. In April, Gabby and Dimitri, along with mom Alex, were taking their empties to the depot and decided to forward the cash to the BC Wildlife Park, knowing the closed facility was facing a cash crunch. The first donation was $33 and change. “We felt good about it. That was awesome. Then we came home,” Alexandra said. She then noticed a post on the Juniper Neighbourhood Facebook page, from a person asking for suggestions on where to donate proceeds from their bottle run. Armstrong reached out, suggested the wildlife park and offered to pick up the bottles. “The kids originally set a goal of $2,000 and we would drive around the neighbourhood, collecting bottles and cans and all these bags from residents in Juniper,” Armstrong said, “In about five days, they got to $2,000.” At that point, Julie Ratcliffe, the BC Wildlife Park’s marketing and events manager, got wind of the kids’

efforts, paid them a visit and mentioned it costs about $10,000 per month to keep the animals fed. From there, the $10,000 fundraising drive began. As the kids collected the bottles, people also started dropping off bags of the same at the family’s home — the one with the big sign out front, urging people to drop off their bottles and cans and help the wildlife park — where the mountains of returnables were constantly being sorted between runs to the Lorne Street Bottle Depot on the Halston Connector. Gabby said they chose to help the BC Wildlife Park “because we basically lived there for three years when we were younger. “To have it closed is just heartbreaking and other kids wouldn’t have the same experiences we had, interacting with the animals and the train.” Among all the animals at the east Kamloops wildlife rehabilitation facility, Gabby is partial to Thunder the Elk: “I just think it’s really cool that an animal can carry antlers that are 25 pounds each.”

Wild Times Await You

Dimitri cites Thunder and Quilla the porcupine among his favourite animals at the park. “It was amazing seeing the animas again,” Gabby said about visiting the park after it reopened to the public on June 1. Mom Alex said the family was surprised when told of the Community Leader Award honour. “I think it was completely unexpected,” she said. “They didn’t do it for the recognition, but I think it’s very good for them to see this is a huge endeavour and they did amazing.” As for the experience, Gabby has some words of advice for other kids with lofty goals: “It’s all about perseverance. If you set your mind to something and you work on it, little by little, you will get there — and that’s what happened to us.” The Armstrong family continues to collect bottles to be used as donations to the BC Wildlife Park. Bottles can be dropped off at 2380 Qu’appelle Blvd. in Juniper Ridge.

CONGRATULATIONS TO

DIMITRI & GABBY ARMSTRONG WHO WERE CHOSEN KAMLOOPS YOUTH VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR IN THE COMMUNITY LEADER AWARDS.

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MENTOR

— GAUDENZA RAMUNNO —

audenza Ramunno’s career as a nurse is all about mentorship. Born and raised in Kamloops, the mother of four went back to school in her late 40s in order to work in public health as a street nurse. Ramunno loves her job serving the needs of marginalized populations, connecting them with health-care services. “When you can make a difference in one person’s life who might not have been able to have any health care or change or hope … I think that’s huge,” Ramunno said. Ramunno currently works at Interior Health’s mobile supervised con-

sumption site in Kamloops . Her role at the mobile unit goes far beyond ensuring safe drug use, as the facility offers myriad services such as wound care, referrals to treatment and collaborates with other agencies. “I like to think of it as more of an education site,” Ramunno said. “We’re trying to build relationships with the clients so we can connect them back into our community.” The pilot project also involves relationship building, Ramunno said, adding it’s an important service for Kamloops and is why she wanted to lead it.

GAUDENZA RAMUNNO Congratulations!

Ramunno has received a KTW Community Leadership Award in the mentor category, and credits many colleagues for being there to guide her in her career and her clients for inspiring her to do the work she does. Humbled by the fact people see her as a mentor, Ramunno said the job is accolade enough. “I love looking after the people, I love the job that I do,” she said. Having waited her whole life to become a nurse as work and motherhood and work got in the way, Ramunno’s passion and dedication has now inspired one of her daughters to follow in her footsteps.

Winner of the MENTOR of the Year Award. You're an inspiration to us all!

Sponsored by

— KEN HUBER —

arting gifts don’t come much sweeter. Ken (Heavy Hands) Huber, who operated Kamloops Boxing Academy from 2011 until this summer, was told earlier this month he is the winner of a Kamloops This Week Community Leadership Award in the Courage category. “After I found out, I was actually in tears because it made me realize people really do appreciate and respect what I’ve done,” said Huber, who has passed the KBA torch to protege Nik Shufletoski, the new man in charge. “People are kind of hesitant to give you props, maybe, or maybe they think, ‘Oh, he’ll just think I’m blowing smoke up his ass.’ “It felt really humbling to get told I was given an award for inspiring other people.” Courage in the ring was an asset for the former amateur and semi-pro provincial, Western Canadian and national champion, but what he overcame away from the canvas is what led to pugilistic prowess. Boxing saved his life when he was in the throes of addiction, when cocaine and crystal meth sabotaged his life during his 20s, he told KTW in 2014. The sport kept him on the straight and narrow.

Now 37, family is the catalyst. “I’ve reached a point now in my life where I’ve crossed that addiction off the list. I’m done with it,” said Huber, who has four children ranging in age from six to 19. “A lot of times, coming into the gym, you come in through the alley and there will be people sitting there smoking the meth pipe. “When you smell it, it brings back all those memories, but do I have the desire at all to go back to that life? Not at all. “My family is going to keep me in check in that sense.” Huber will miss the feeling of accomplishment that comes along with helping others reach boxing and fitness goals, but is happy to be leaving behind big talkers who lack work ethic. “The potential that’s here and the change that this makes in peoples’ lives is something that is really hard for me to walk away from,” Huber said. “But the only thing more important than boxing is family.” The award from KTW puts an exclamation point on his tenure. “In a leadership position, you don’t get told very often that you’re doing a good job,” Huber said. “It made me very emotional. I cried for a while.”

COURAGE AWARD Congratulations to Ken Huber

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FRESH IMPACT AWARD

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— TREVOR KOOT —

n a trip back to Swift Current from Vancouver in 2017, Trevor Koot and family stopped in Kamloops to visit some friends. It only took a couple of days for them to decide that Kamloops was where they wanted to live. “It was that quick,” Koot said. “Two weeks later my wife and daughter were packed up and moving here.” Koot rejoined his family in Kamloops later that fall, but kept two of his businesses in Swift Current, including a gym and supplement store — an interest that fits, considering his history as a competitive bodybuilder. But Koot’s main gig is real estate,

and that is where he has quickly made an impact here in Kamloops. Koot, 42, quickly landed a job as the executive officer with the Kamloops and District Real Estate Association based on his 15 years of experience in the industry and willingness to innovate. Part of that innovative work includes development of the KADREA app, which was launched in 2019, and the Buyer Path tool, which tells realtors valuable information about where buyers are coming from. Buyer Path isn’t just a local project — not anymore. Koot said the intellectual prop-

erty was given to the Canadian Real Estate Association, which is now working to implement the tool across the country. Koot’s role with KADREA has been to accelerate it into the 21st century. That has meant forming strategic partnerships with a number of groups in the community and turning the KADREA office into a real estate hub that includes education opportunities. “The impact I’m able to bring is only because of the people who have given me the opportunity to do it,” he said, noting the KADREA board’s welcoming attitude toward new ideas.

COMMUNITY LEADER AWARD

CONGRATULATIONS, TREVOR KOOT Kamloops and District Real Estate Association (KADREA) Executive Officer Trevor Koot, has just been awarded The Community Leader Award for his impact and leadership in business, volunteer work and community involvement.

LEADING THE WAY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

WEDNESDAY, June 24, 2020

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ENVIRONMENTAL LEADER

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— KATHY SINCLAIR —

hen Kamloops residents were changing their winter tires this past spring, Kathy Sinclair was switching over studded tires on her e-bike, having ridden year-round for the first time since giving up her vehicle. She is a regular commuter to work and her job as city councillor, though not so much in recent months, due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Her councillor’s work has seen her working from home, connected through a computer screen. Living in a 342-square foot micro-suite at The Station suits her lifestyle well. “It’s perfect for one person. “It suits my lifestyle.” That choice reflects her dedication to reducing, reducing and taking steps that others can follow. Sinclair has received a KTW Community Leadership Award in the environmental category. “I was surprised and super honoured to be the recipient,” Sinclair said. “A lot of people in town who are doing way more than me in terms of environmental activism and leadership, I want to tip my hat to them.”

Sinclair is passionate about increasing access to local food, supporting local farmers and food producers. Having recently taken on a community garden, she sees how the pandemic has created more interest in people being self-reliant to some degree for their food needs. She is aware of her individual choices, like watching a show on Netflix, and how even it can use some amount of energy. “We’re all living in the world and we’re all using energy and resources, it’s not like any of us can just unplug completely.” Sinclair says, there is always something new for her to learn and ways to get better — being a responsible citizen of the planet. Sinclair’s recent motion to move to double the city’s budget for active transportation was carried forward in a council vote, leading to a reduced time frame for the city to complete projects in their active transportation list. Projects such as, multi-use paths, bike lanes and pedestrian safety sidewalks will be accomplished within 15 years, instead of 25 years. “It definitely felt good to have some input in making things happen.”

CONGRATULATIONS TO

KATHY SINCLAIR

WHO WAS CHOSEN ENVIRONMENTAL LEADER OF THE YEAR IN THE COMMUNITY LEADER AWARDS.

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