On Wednesday, the city hosted the annual Exemplary Service Awards ceremony, which saw eight members of the community honoured.
The city says the awards formally acknowledge people who have dedicated a “significant” amount of time and service in a voluntary contribution to the community’s growth and development as well as to the well-being of local citizens.
Nominations opened in February and closed in mid-March.
Below is a full list of each award recipient.
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Board directors of the Stollery Charitable Foundation, Spencer and Kanet Bryson, were awarded for their “unwavering dedication” to making Kamloops a better place to live, says a news release from the city. They were also recognized for their time as educators, their support for extracurricular activities like sports and theatre, their time spent coaching and managing youth sports teams and advocated strongly for the local non-profit and charitable sector.
Terry Denike was recognized for her “passion for physical literacy” and time spent coaching various sports, from masters games in rugby and hockey to volunteer ski patrol to high school basketball. The city says one of Terry’s most impactful contributions has been her work with youth. She also works for the St. John Ambulance Brigade as a first aid volunteer and, over the years, has volunteered for the local fire department and in the St. John’s therapy dog program and at Harper Mountain and Sun Peaks Resort providing first aid and mentorship.
Jennifer Harbaruk was awarded for her “diverse volunteer endeavours,” which include serving the overall community, mentoring youth, raising funds for the Royal Inland Hospital and volunteering for the Kamloops Ambassadors Program. She has also participated in the Interior Children’s Expo, the Relay for Life, the Father Daughter Ball, was a former Kamloops Food Bank volunteer coordinator and has been on the Kamloops Ambassador Society since 2016.
Youth councillor Leann Kopytko was recognized for her 15 years of service with the Day One Society, where she has provided counselling to over a thousand students across the region. Leann and her late husband also created the Out of the Ashes bursary, which has seen over $100,000 distributed to 45 recipients. She also helped with the development of the Provincial Youth Substance Abuse Management Program for Corrections Canada.
Geordon Lloyd was awarded for his dedication and commitment to the Starfish Backpack Program, a collaboration between the Kamloops Food Bank and School District No. 73, which started in 2016. The city says that for the past eight years, he has demonstrated “unwavering” dedication by personally delivering bags of food to participating schools every Friday, rain or shine.
Deb McDougall-Bergstrand was recognized for her dedication to volunteering and managing the Heffley Creek Community Hall, which has enriched the lives of the community for the past decade. That includes seniors gathering, car shows, dog training, exercise classes, the annual Christmas dinner and more. Deb started writing the local newspaper, the Heffley Creek Hollar, and is now the admin for the Heffley Creek Community Facebook page.
Jeremy Salamandyk was honoured for his commitment to serving the community at Kamloops Blazer hockey games, concerts, fundraising breakfasts, food drives, the Kamloops Food Bank Society, local rodeo events and more. The city says Jeremy is involved with over 30 special events at any given time, showing his “tireless” support for local causes and events.
Jeanette Souliere received an award for her dedication at the Little Farmers Zoo in Westsyde Centennial Park, which she has volunteered at for the last three years. That includes raking pastures as well as feeding and socializing with all the animals. Rain, snow, or shine, Jeanette volunteers three mornings a week to help maintain the farm. She also volunteers at the SPCA Thrift Store on 8th Street and in a mentoring program at the Full Gospel Church.
