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Town' s volunteers to be honoured

Residents who work with youth, organize activities and lend a hand in the Diamond Valley area are getting a much-deserved pat on the back this week.
Black Diamond Volunteer of the Year Award recipient Linda Macaulay will officially be honoured during the volunteer appreciation event at the Turner Valley Golf Club on April
Black Diamond Volunteer of the Year Award recipient Linda Macaulay will officially be honoured during the volunteer appreciation event at the Turner Valley Golf Club on April 16. All volunteers in Black Diamond and Turner Valley are invited to attend.

Residents who work with youth, organize activities and lend a hand in the Diamond Valley area are getting a much-deserved pat on the back this week.

The Towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley are recognizing their many volunteers with a celebration in their honour during the volunteer appreciation open house at the Turner Valley Golf Club from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The event runs in conjunction with National Volunteer Work, which takes place in Canada from April 12 to 18.

“It’s our way of saying, ‘Thank you, you are appreciated,’” said Turner Valley Mayor Kelly Tuck. “We truly appreciate the time that’s given. There are so many things we couldn’t do without volunteers.”

In fact, Tuck said many community events wouldn’t happen without the involvement of volunteers in Black Diamond and Turner Valley.

Such events that rely on volunteers include Turner Valley Days and the Turner Valley Triathlon, she said.

In addition to event volunteers, the communities also rely heavily on service clubs, said Tuck.

“Look at the Lions Club and the spray park,” she said. “Look at the commitment from those individuals that went into putting that park together. That’s a huge commitment. If we didn’t have the volunteers that project wouldn’t have gone ahead.”

Among other groups active in the community are the Royal Canadian Legion Turner Valley Branch, Girl Guides, Boy Scouts and Beneath the Arch Concert Series, Tuck said.

“We also have our local groups that try to organize events to raise money or awareness,” she said. “We look to them to help out.”

Tuck said she couldn’t imagine either town without volunteers.

“There are so many things and events we just can’t do by ourselves,” she said. “We do rely on all of our volunteers and it’s nice to be thanked every once in a while.”

Black Diamond Mayor Sharlene Brown said 50 to 100 people attend the volunteer appreciation event each year.

“We have a lot of community organizations – hospital, lodge, Lions Club, church committees, youth groups, church youth groups, food bank and seniors volunteers,” she said. “If you look locally at what we have in terms of the volunteers coming in our region, it’s huge.”

Brown said without these numerous volunteer groups and individuals, the communities would look very different.

“Without those volunteers as an integral part of building our community all of that work would have to be done by somebody else or paid positions,” she said. “It’s so important that we appreciate the effort and time that people do volunteer work in our community. They provide a service to our community.”

Brown said people move to Black Diamond and Turner Valley because of the opportunities the service groups and volunteers offer.

Throughout the evening on Thursday, both mayors will make a presentation and the volunteers will be treated to snacks and refreshments, as well as gifts.

Linda Macaulay, the 2015 Volunteer of the Year Award recipient in Black Diamond, will be presented with her award during the evening as well.

Macaulay said she’s attended the event before and finds it a great way for volunteers in the communities to be recognized.

“I love the fact I’m being honoured,” she said. “Sometimes just saying thanks isn’t enough. This way they can say it in a different way.”

Attending the event is also an opportunity to be amongst peers, including those who won Volunteer of the Year awards in previous years, said Macaulay.

“It’s going to be fun,” she said. “Certainly to finally get the award will be such an honour.”

Since moving to Black Diamond from Calgary in 2008, Macaulay has been very active volunteering in both Black Diamond and Turner Valley.

“It gets me out of the house,” she said. “The two places that I do hang out the most (the Sheep River Library and legion) I have a passion for so it makes it easy to go out and volunteer with them.”

Macaulay said volunteering is a great way to meet people in the community.

“Especially when you move from the big city and you’ve got nobody here, it gives you a chance to meet everybody,” she said.

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