Member Service: Please help us promote the Volunteer Citizen of the Year award

We encourage you to run the ads from Direct Energy, as filler ads and/or run the press release submitted previously. Anything you can do to help promote this award in your local community, will be appreciated.

The following is some information on the VCOY award.

Direct Energy and the Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association (AWNA) invite Albertans to help recognize our province’s remarkable volunteer spirit with the seventh annual Volunteer Citizen of the Year Award.  Nominations are now being accepted and will close Friday, April 1, 2011.

The Volunteer Citizen of the Year Award is an extension of Direct Energy’s Community Investment philosophy that encourages employees to volunteer their time and energy to causes or organizations in their local communities.

The award itself consists of:

• $1,000 cash prize to the winner;
• $5,000 cash grant to the winner’s organization/cause of choice in their respective community;
• recognition of the winner’s achievement through a commemorative award, article and photo to be published in AWNA newspapers across Alberta;
• $1,000 cash grant to four semi-finalists’ organization/cause of choice in their respective communities; and
• special recognition of the four semi-finalists.

Last years’ winner, Tammy Sather, chose Hughenden Firefighters Association as the beneficiary of her $5,000. The money was used to buy a portable electric suction unit and a set of rescue struts to give better and safer support of vehicles when they flip on their side.

The Volunteer Citizen of the Year Award is open to residents who reside within a community served by an AWNA member newspaper. Applicants can either self-nominate or be nominated by another individual or group. Nominations should be no longer than 750 words in length and detail the specific contribution the individual or group has made to the local community through improving the quality of life for fellow citizens. The nominations also need to profile the designated organization and how that organization would use the $5,000 donation.

Nominations must be submitted to the AWNA by April 1, 2011. A selection committee, formed of two representatives from the AWNA and two appointed by Direct Energy, will review award applications and select the finalists and winning individual or group.

Volunteer Citizen of the Year Award rules and details can be found online at www.awna.com or www.directenergy.com/vcoy, or can be picked up at AWNA member newspaper offices.