The Town is once again looking to recognize influential residents who have helped make Okotoks a better place.
The third annual Okotoks Hall of Fame Awards nominations opened up on Feb. 1 and will close on March 31. Residents are encouraged to nominate someone who has made a long-standing contribution to the community, whether it be in sports, arts and culture, or just by being an outstanding community builder.
“It’s got to be an exemplary act,” said Okotoks communication specialist Marni Hutchinson. “Someone doing something of an extraordinary nature or bringing attention to Okotoks on a national or international level…someone who has done long-standing service or made a big contribution to creating the community that we live in today.”
Up to seven current or past Okotoks residents can be inducted into the Hall of Fame each year, granted that they meet the strict criteria.
“It is a bit of a process, so we encourage people to get started thinking about it early. You have to write a letter of support and get five signatures of support, as well as gather some supporting documentation the supports your nomination,” Hutchinson said. “But it does take a bit of time so we encourage people not to wait until the last minute.”
Nominations will be reviewed by the Culture Parks and Recreation Hall of Fame subcommittee to select the inductees. It’s the third year the awards will occur in Okotoks, with inductees receiving a permanent plaque on the Hall of Fame wall at the Okotoks Recreation Centre and being honoured at a celebration dinner in June.
“I think there is a lot of people who have made significant contributions to developing Okotoks, putting us on the map,” Hutchinson said. “And everyone feels it’s an important thing to recognize the people who have made those contributions and honour them.”
There are currently eight community members who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, including athletic trainer Jim ‘Bearcat' Murray, NHL star Bill ‘Cowboy’ Flett, and CFL champion and Okotoks town councillor Ray Watrin.
Watrin said he was honoured to be inducted in during the first year of the Hall of Fame and is looking forward to the town continuing on with the tradition.
“It was great because it was local and where I'm from kind of a thing. It was just really thrilling and it's great to have family and friends come and tell me that they saw the plaque at the hall of fame in the recreation centre,” he said. “I think it's a legacy to give to the town, I think it's just good in the fact that it establishes a history kind of thing for the town with sports and culture.”
Another set of award nominations is also open with a focus on recognizing the many dedicated volunteers in town. Those award nominations will close on March 16, and Hutchinson said there are many people who have contributed to the community who would be better suited for a volunteer award than the hall of fame.
“We want people to be aware there's two different awards running simultaneously. Look at both of them and think about whether or not the person your nominating it makes sense to nominate for the hall of fame award,” she said. “Perhaps if it's a smaller volunteer job they've done or it’s been kind of a smaller time frame they might want to consider nominating that person for a volunteer award instead.”
Nomination forms for both awards categories can be found online at okotoks.ca.
