Four Special Olympians and an “ambassador for immigrants” are among the Red Deer residents to be honoured with Mayor’s Recognition Awards this week.
Sandra Epp, a local advocate for immigrants and refugees, is one of 23 people who will be recognized during a Wednesday evening ceremony at the Black Knight Inn.
Awards will be presented in four categories: athletics, citizenship, fine and performing arts, and a special award category.
Epp, a youth settlement worker with the Central Alberta Refugee Effort (CARE) who emigrated from Chile in 1988, will get the Mayor’s Special Award for her work with immigrant children in the public and Catholic school systems.
“I am very honoured and humbled at the same time,” said Epp, who feels “shy” about getting the award since she works as a team with two co-workers.
But Epp said she hopes her award will help increase awareness of the importance of helping new Canadians adjust to life in a new country.
“When I first came to Canada, I was living in a rural area and I didn’t know I could access this kind of help,” added Epp, who found out about CARE three years after arriving, and then began volunteering at the centre to help others.
She’s now employed to assess the English skills of students from kindergarten to Grade 12.
Although Epp works primarily with Spanish-speaking families, whenever needed, she lines up interpreters to find out other students’ needs and how she can help them adjust to a new culture. Epp identifies barriers to success and helps bridge the communication gap between staff, students, and their parents.
She’s also helped develop various programs and initiatives. “Sandra brings energy, compassion and commitment to her role, and her actions continually reflect her passion for the success of newcomer students, making Red Deer a better place for families who are new to Canada and Red Deer,” states a release from the awards committee.
The athletics awards will be presented to four local gold medalists in the Special Olympics: Michaella Clark, Murray Gauthier, Samuel Rahbek-Ward and Tara Reist, who all won top medals for aquatics at the 2010 Summer Special Olympics in Canada.
Fine and Performing Arts awards will be given to:
• Donna Durand, who has recorded a CD, The Road Back, that has sold internationally and spent two weeks on the folk roots charts.
• Taylor Crane, who placed second in North America’s largest pow wow competition in the Teens Grass category.
• Robin Lambert, a nationally and internationally known ceramic artist, curator, presenter, lecturer and instructor.
Five people will receive Citizenship Awards for Distinguished Voluntary Service:
• William Baergen, for his work with the Central Alberta Historic Society and as a local author.
• Bev Glass, for helping develop programs for the Canadian Red Cross.
• Leanne McRee, for organizing major fundraisers at St. Patrick’s School.
• Kolton Streit, for his work with Red Deer Youth Bowling, Royal Canadian Air Cadets, Red Deer hospital and Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School.
• Stacy Worobetz, for founding Whisker Rescue for saving homeless and surrendered cats.
Ten people will receive Citizenship Awards for Continuous Voluntary Service: Joan Bunio, with the Red Deer Regional Hospital; Andy Cuthbertson, with Special Olympics Red Deer; Doris Fisher, with Red Deer hospital; Violet Fletcher-Pogmore, with Red Deer hospital; Joan Franks, with Cosmos and the Red Deer hospital; Faye Hughes, with Sunnybrook United Church, the Alberta Cancer Society, the Central Alberta Historical Society, the library board, GrammaLink-Africa, and the Red Deer College Arts Centre; Diane Innes, with Red Deer hospital; Anne Morrow-Garbutt, with Special Olympics, Red Deer, Central Alberta Special Equestrians, and Lindsay Thurber high school; Robert Rollman, with Red Deer hospital, Red Deer Nursing Home and Michener Extendicare; and Ellen Toma, with Red Deer hospital.
lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com