Volunteer Calgary is proud to announce the 2009 list of nominees for the 13th Annual Leadership Awards. Each year, these awards have put the spotlight on a few of the thousands of hard working volunteers who support and strengthen our city.

“Volunteers provide the non-profit sector with a powerful resource allowing organizations to meet the needs of the community,” says Laurel Benson, President  & CEO of Volunteer Calgary. “This is especially true during challenging economic times when the demands increase but the availability for additional funding decreases for many of our non-profit member organizations.”

Despite the current economic downturn, 117 nominations were received by Volunteer Calgary. These nominations highlight the diversity of Calgarians who volunteer, including youth, businesses, families and even animals, representing thousands of volunteers in our community who often go unrecognized.

“It is truly humbling to see the accomplishments of these nominees. They give freely of their time and expertise in all areas of our community, often without fanfare or any public acknowledgement. It is no wonder that Calgary remains unchallenged as the “Volunteer Capital of Canada,” says Benson.

This unofficial title was declared back in 2005 when an Ipsos-Reid survey concluded that 71% of Calgarians were participating in some form of volunteering, donating on average of 15 hours of their time per month; statistics that exceed both the national and provincial averages for volunteering. 

From the 117 nominees announced today, the final 12 award recipients will be announced on the evening of April 16th during the 13th Annual Leadership Awards gala at the Roundup Centre, which is hosted by Volunteer Calgary and presented by Suncor Energy. The ceremony will also kick off National Volunteer Week, which will run from April 19 - 25, 2009. 

At that time, awards will be presented in eight categories including Heart of Calgary, Volunteer Family, Leaders in Business, Leaders of Tomorrow, Leadership in Volunteer Management, Outstanding Volunteer Program, Volunteer Animal and Volunteer in Profile.

Tickets for the gala are $75.00 for Volunteer Calgary non-profit member organizations and $150.00 for the public, proceeds of which will be used to deliver programs and services that support Volunteer Calgary’s mission of engaging more people, more effectively to volunteer.

Benson hopes that by honouring the city’s outstanding volunteers, more people will be inspired to become involved in building a stronger and more caring community.

Calgarians are encouraged to find local volunteer opportunities on Volunteer Calgary’s website at www.volunteercalgary.ab.ca.

For more information, media may contact:
Karen Franco, Communications Director    
Phone: 403-231-1436  
E-mail: kfranco@volunteercalgary.ab.ca

To review a listing of the Nominees and Nominators, click here.

To review the Nominee Profiles, click here.