Volunteers are in abundance, yet getting someone to step into the spotlight is another story.
The Town of Black Diamond has put a call out for nominations for its 2017 Volunteer of the Year Award, but getting applicants is a struggle.
“We have a lot of great volunteers out there, it’s just getting people to take the time to bring that forward,” said Suzan Nagel, Family and Community Support Services co-ordinator.
Nagel said submissions ranged from zero to three since 2010.
Three of those years the town received only one nomination and two years ago it didn’t receive any, she said.
“You don’t need to be a superhero to be nominated, just someone who is giving some of their time and talent,” she said.
The award recognizes volunteers who have made outstanding contributions to the community through volunteer initiatives.
“It’s nice to be able to recognize the contributions that people make and also to let the younger generations know what they can gain out of volunteerism,” she said. “There’s skills, being involved in your community, you get contacts you may not have had and it goes towards building a well-rounded character. It’s important, not just for the person who is getting the award, but the community to understand the importance of that support to the organizations they volunteer for.”
The 2014 recipient Linda Macaulay said the award is a feather in the cap.
“It was nice to be nominated and recognized and the bonus was to win it,” she said. “There are so many people around the Black Diamond area that work so hard.”
Nagel said the application process is simple. It requires contact information for the nominator and nominee, a brief description of the nominee’s volunteer activities and community involvement, two references and a signature by the nominee. There are no age restrictions, she said.
Nomination forms can be found at town.blackdiamond.ab.ca, picked up at the Black Diamond Municipal Building or mailed out by calling 403-933-4348.
The deadline to submit nominations is Feb. 15.
