The SARC Awards

The SARC Awards honour diversity and inclusion in the disability service sector.

The SARC Awards are an opportunity for SARC Members to shine the spotlight on the people they support or organizations they partner with who are committed to community development and inclusive employment.

The SARC Awards honour people from across the province.

Every summer, SARC staff travel to recipients’ communities to create honourary videos that highlight the exceptional accomplishments, a profound journey, impressive skills, an incredible work ethic, community development, and voluntary commitments.

At the annual SARC Awards Banquet, recipients are presented with their awards in front of family, friends, SARC Members, government dignitaries, and special guests.

The 2022 SARC Award Recipients Are

The Good Neighbour Award

The Good Neighbour Award recognizes a person who makes a difference in their community through their contribution or volunteer efforts.

Meet the 2022 Good Neighbour Award Recipient!

This year’s Good Neighbour Award is awarded to Marry Dusaman from Saskatoon. From Marry’s support staff to regulars on her Meals on Wheels route, everyone who meets Marry knows her for her warm and welcoming personality, love of cooking, and easy way she connects with everyone she meets. Sharing food, time, and connections makes Marry a great neighbour.

Marry also just has a wonderful, welcoming, generous spirit. She walks into a room and says ‘hello’ to everyone, she greets everyone, she throws up her hands and says ‘hello’ and gives you a hug or high five or whatever, and she just wants to be like be a part of the community.

Miranda Wood-Sparrow – Saskatoon, SK

Marlo shows her passion for working at Cameco by being so willing to take on different jobs. Her position has changed many times over the years and she’s always been willing to take on those new challenges.

Michelle Martfeld – Saskatoon, SK

The Great Work Award

The Great Work Award recognizes a person who demonstrates a great work ethic and professional growth in their community.

Meet the 2022 Great Work Award Recipient

Marlo’s commitment to her career at Cameco has spanned three decades and fueled long-term friendships, a commitment to helping her community, and helped her become the wonderful outgoing and independent person she is.

The Spotlight Award

The Spotlight Award recognizes a person who has an amazing skill or talent and who is eager to share this talent with their community.

Meet the 2022 Spotlight Award Recipient!

We’re shining the spotlight on Jeannie Charles. Jeannie has been powwow dancing since she was two years old and prides herself on being self-taught. Jeannie is a very proud Cree woman and loves to share and explore her Indigenous culture in as many ways and at as many events in her hometown of La Ronge as she can. Jeannie is quick to welcome people she meets into her life.

She’s able to express, you know, the love that she has for being a Cree woman. Also, for our traditional ways, she expresses that all the time when she’s dancing and she’s always smiling.

Cathy Wheaton Bird – La Ronge, SK

He always has a smile on his face, he’s always spreading joy, doesn’t even really try to, like just puts you in a better mood being around him, he has great vibes.

Abbey Flaman – Saskatoon, SK

The Spirit Award

New for 2022, we’re introducing the Spirit Award. The Spirit Award is given to someone who lights up any room they’re in. Whether this person is the life of the party or a kind and caring friend who goes out of their way to make people feel welcomed, this person loves to share their spirit with others.

Meet the 2022 Spirit Award Recipient

This year we’re introducing the Spirit Award and we cannot think of anyone more deserving than Noah Mitsuing to win the inaugural award. In the nominations form, SARC asked for SARC Members to nominate someone who ‘lights up each room they’re in’. And, well. That’s certainly Noah. Noah becomes fast friends with everyone he meets and shares his culture, stories, and various passions with the people around him.

The Community Builder Award

The Community Builder Award recognizes an organization, business, group, or individual whose efforts have a profound impact on their community.

Meet the 2022 Community Builder Award Recipient!

The couple behind Limitless DAS are true community builders for the people of Estevan. After identifying a lack of opportunities and activities for people experiencing disability in their community, Conrad and Kandyce got to work, connecting with other businesses and community-based organizations to create connections and reduce barriers for people within their community. Whether working with the people at the golf course or taking over a private box at the multi-plex, Limitless DAS partners with various organizations to offer programs for people of all abilities.

I’m really super thankful that Kandyce and Conrad have started the programs—they don’t really know how much it means to all the parents. They’ve really stepped up and started everything for that.

Dallas Gillis – Estevan, SK

Right from the start and moving on I just always saw this sense of – it was always this is where the client is and we’re going to take their strengths and we’re going to put them in a place that they feel the most comfortable because then that’s when they’re going to do their best.

Bernice McKen – Yorkton, SK

The Inclusive Advantage Award

The Inclusive Advantage Award recognizes an employer who is a leader in supported employment by employing people experiencing disability.

Meet the 2022 Inclusive Advantage Award Recipient!

Management at Superstore in Yorkton are committed to working with community-based organizations in Yorkton to reduce barriers to employment and help new employees feel welcomed and comfortable while working in a busy and fast-paced environment. Understanding that a barrier to employment might be different for each person that comes through their door, the management team at Yorkton Superstore has worked hard to implement accommodations for the individual rather than asking the individual to make accommodations for the organization. That’s true inclusivity.

Do You Want to Nominate Someone for a SARC Award?

Nominations open in April of each year for Regular and Associate SARC Members and are accepted until early June of the same year. Two to three weeks after the closing date, nominators from SARC Member Agencies are contacted. Then, throughout July and August, SARC staff travel across the province to meet each recipient, their family, friends, and other community members to film a video vignette so that it can be shared with family and friends, other SARC Members, SARC Member Board representatives, government representatives, and members of the public at the SARC Awards Banquet.

Resources

Please Note: The included information is for reference only, and SARC and its Members, their employers, officers, and Directors assume and accept no liability for any consequences arising from the use, non-use, accuracy, or legal compliance of any of the information, tools, or resources provided.

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