Locals gathered on Thursday, June 16 to celebrate individuals who go above and beyond to make Salmon Arm and the Shuswap a great place to live.
The second annual Community Leader Awards honoured exemplary individuals in 12 categories including Environmental Leader, Coach, Emergency Service and Volunteer.
Leader of the Year went to Kay Braby for the volunteer work she does with the United Church and her instrumental role in launching the Second Harvest food bank, amongst numerous other volunteer contributions.
Pamela Chudiak took the top honour in the Above and Beyond category which celebrates those who exceed the requirements of their job to improve their community. Honourable mentions were Rob Marshall and Brian Ayotte.
In the Coach category, which honours exemplary volunteer coaches, David Torrie took the top honour for his work with young soccer players. Honurable mention went to Tim Alstad and Ken McGregor.
Karen Brown received the highest honour in the Community Builder category, with John Hansen and James Bowlby taking honourable mentions.
The Courage category was for people who rose above adversity or personal challenges to become successful. Top honour was awarded to Kameron Kriese. Honourable mentions went to Victor Toy and Jeff Smith.
John Schut, a search manager for Shuswap Volunteer Search and Rescue, took the top honour in the Emergency Service category. Celia Harris and Hiapo Poirier received honourable mentions.
The team of Dave Ramsay and Barry Wilson received top honours in the Environmental Leader category, with honourable mentions going to the team of Ceren Caner and Geoff Styles as well as Jim Morris.
Top honours for Mentorship went to Brian Pratt-Johnson, and honourable mentions were Eiko Uehara and Linda Brown.
The top honoured service organization volunteer was Eugene Casavant, with honourable mentions going to Penny Brown and Sue McCrae.
Ellen Underhill was the top honoured volunteer thanks to her work for SAFE Society’s Salmon Arm/Sicamous RCMP Victim Services. Julia Mortensen and Mike Boudreau received honourable mentions.
Karen Bubola was honoured for her volunteer work with youth. Karen Wilson and Evelyn Greenius received honourable mentions for working with youth.
Lyndsey Chesham received the top honour for youth volunteer with Cara Wurst and Taigan Radomske receiving honourable mentions.