Over the course of a year, Canada has more than 330 daily, weekly and monthly awareness days highlighting a variety of worthy causes.
One week we all should recognize in Lillooet is National Volunteer Week, marked this year from Apr. 15 to 21.
It’s impossible to imagine what this community would be like without our volunteers. For starters, we wouldn’t have a fire department, a rescue society or disaster relief personnel. What about our community events? We could say goodbye to Flag Day, the Apricot T’saqwem Festival and Salmon in the Canyon.
How we would raise funds for special equipment or furnishings for the hospital or Mountainview Lodge without the foundation and auxiliary? How would we come together to support worthy community projects and help neighbours in trouble without the Legion, Lions, Elks, Royal Purple, Masons and Eastern Star? How would we celebrate and protect the beauty of the place we live without the contributions of the Naturalist Society and the Peace and Ecology Group? And what about Lillooet’s kids? What would their lives be like without minor hockey, Skate Lillooet, the boxing and soccer clubs and the other sports and recreation activities organized and supported by our volunteers? How about the dedication of people who serve on school PACS and act as mentors to students?
Those are only a few examples of what our volunteers mean to Lillooet. They contribute immeasurably to the richness, texture and quality of life here.
We thank them for their contributions this week and every week. If you know of an outstanding community volunteer, we urge you to consider nominating him or her for a volunteer award. The Prime Minster’s Volunteer Award program began in 2011 and the Governor General is a proponent of the Caring Canada award. Here in BC, we have our own British Columbia Community Achievement Award.
Of course, volunteers already receive benefits from their contributions. They learn to be leaders, to communicate, to organize and to manage. It’s a great way to make friends. Most importantly, they learn one person or one group can make a difference.
W.F.
