Meet the 2018 SARC Awards Recipients
By Nicole Linzmeyer, SARC Communications Officer
This summer, we headed out on our summer road trip to meet and capture the stories of this year’s SARC Awards recipients! This was our first time filming for the new awards categories and it was exciting to be out in so many different Saskatchewan communities, with so many unique stories to share.
We wanted to introduce each of this year’s recipients and give you a sneak peek of their amazing stories. We hope you will join us on October 24 to learn more about each recipient at our SARC Awards Banquet in Regina (registration opening soon!).
1. The Good Neighbour Award – Susan Lariviere
We headed to Meadow Lake to meet Susan, this year’s recipient of the Good Neighbour Award. Susan is a very bright light and embodies the Good Neighbour Award, not only through her ongoing commitment to volunteering with the school and daycare at Flying Dust First Nations, but through her deep connections with the people of Meadow Lake. Susan is extremely positive and warm-hearted and really shines when spending time with the children at the daycare; they absolutely adore her. Thank you, Susan, for your valuable dedication to your community!
2. The Great Work Award – Nolan Paradis
Nolan Paradis is an ambitious 20 year old whose robust resume is expanding as he continues to recognize and take advantage of valuable opportunities in the community. Nolan has done an excellent job of building his resume over the last couple of years by taking a variety of a training courses including First Aid/CPR, Serve It Right, and Food Safe. He’s also had a variety of volunteer experiences including for the Swift Current 57’s Baseball Team, the Meadows Long Term Care Facility, and with the Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame as part of his discovery and career exploration process.
Nolan knew early on that he was interested in working in a sports related field and with all his valuable experiences, he was able to follow that career path as he is now currently employed at the City of Swift Current Chinook Golf Course as well as for the Swift Current Broncos Hockey Club. It was fantastic to meet Nolan and see the amazing presence he has at his workplaces!
3. The Spotlight Award – Kristen Bryce
This year’s Spotlight is shining on the brilliant, creative, and hilarious Kristen. Kristen has a creative gift that she uses to make all sorts of different crafts and art projects that she loves to either give as gifts to the people she cares about, or sell to make some extra cash. It was very heartwarming to hear about Kristen’s journey through her support team. Many of them have known her for quite a few years and have seen how developing her creative skills has been at the centre of her personal growth. Developing her skills and abilities has not only made her confidence grow, it has also helped her find a way to connect with others and build relationships. We went to the craft store Michael’s with Kristen and helped her pick out some yarn for newborn hats that she is making for the Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon. Thanks for sharing your talents with the community, Kristen – we can’t wait to see what you make next!
4. The Journey Award – Tracy Hage
The inaugural recipient of the Journey Award, Tracy Hage, is someone that has faced a variety of challenges over the course of her life – and continues to not only thrive but also share her experiences in order to positively impact others. Tracy knew early on that she wanted to work with children and when she started working at the Humboldt Cooperative Day Care over 10 years ago, her employer was very supportive of her pursuing her diploma in Early Childhood Education. Now Tracy is doing very well working at her dream job as an Early Childhood Educator! Tracy is also dedicated to advocating for other people experiencing disability. She co-authored the Simple Taste Cookbook – a helpful tool that presents recipes in a more visual way so that others can gain more independence in cooking. She is also on the Humboldt and District Community Services Board of Directors and volunteers at their social dances and other events and programs. Tracy has had quite the journey so far– you will have to check back to watch her video to learn more about her story. We are excited to see where Tracy’s journey takes her next!
5. The Community Builder Award
Next, we went to Kindersley to meet Pastor Lloyd Griffith, this year’s recipient of the Community Builder Award. Lloyd is an important link between all sorts of different organizations in the community, and has helped to form meaningful partnerships between West Central Abilities (WCA) and other organizations, including Spokes Family Resource Centre. This organization operates out of the church and has started a community garden where WCA has a plot. Many of the WCA clients enjoy going out to look after the garden and watch their vegetables grow! Lloyd has also been an amazing community partner by offering to provide the use of the church’s hall for WCA events including their AGM as well as staff and client training events. They are also able to use the church’s large kitchen space for WCA’s monthly cooking club. Additionally, Lloyd provides valuable support through his involvement on the WCA Board and plays a vital role on their Building Committee. Lloyd truly sees the value in bringing the community together through connecting organizations and does this very naturally. Thank you, Lloyd, for your commitment to being a Community Builder!
6. The Inclusive Advantage Award
The Swift Current Broncos have been an inclusive workplace since hiring their first employee experiencing disability in the fall of 2017. Since Nolan’s first day where they shared a video welcoming Nolan as the newest member of the Hockey Operations staff with their network and fans, he has been an integral part of the team. Nolan’s supervisor, Jamie “Butter” Leblanc, has built a great relationship with Nolan and sees his responsibilities continuing to grow as he gains more experience. Having Nolan as part of the team has also impacted the culture at The Swift Current Broncos; in speaking with their Manager of Digital Media, Ryan Switzer, Nolan has really brought the staff and team together because everyone gravitates towards his fun personality. Keep up the great work, Swift Current Broncos!
To learn more about the 2018 SARC Award recipients, visit https://www.sarcsarcan.ca/awards.
