National Volunteer Week is April 19-25. OkotoksToday.ca and the Western Wheel are featuring stories of volunteers in the area this week.
Giving back is a family affair for a Black Diamond woman whose volunteerism runs deep.
Cindy Wright, who lives just outside of Black Diamond, has been volunteering in her community in various avenues, from her daughter’s school council to co-ordinating the Phantoms pond hockey league.
“I like to just keep busy and set a good example for my kids,” she said. “It’s always good to help others whether you can do a huge amount or a little amount.”
For Wright, it runs in the family.
Wright’s grandmother, Eva McEathron, was a dedicated volunteer at Oilfields General Hospital. Her mother, Sherry Brunt, volunteered with the Longview kindergarten program.
“I always looked up to them for that and I wanted to carry on with that type of thing,” she said. “It runs in the family.”
Wright’s eldest daughter, Emily, volunteered with Black Diamond sustainability fair and Okotoks Aquatics Club, and her youngest, Isabelle, volunteered for the C. Ian McLaren Elementary School book fairs while she was a student there.
Wright said she got involved with the Phantoms - a recreational hockey league for youths through the Oilfields Sports Association - when Emily joined about a decade ago.
“At first I was just helping out doing whatever,” she said. “It was something that was not work for me to put back into a place where I grew up.”
When Emily decided to go into basketball instead of hockey, Wright stayed with the league and soon advanced from board member to co-ordinator, responsible for organizing recreational games, practices and skills camps. During that time she saw it grow from three teams to six and attract children from Okotoks, Longview and even Calgary.
“It was enjoyable and it gave the kids a place to have fun for a reasonable price,” she said. “There’s less rules and it’s more fun-based.”
Wright had also devoted her time to the C. Ian McLaren School council and its hot lunch program as an administrator.
“I still go and cook a couple times a year, even though my daughter is not there, if I can swing it,” she said.
With both daughters attending Oilfields High School, Wright joined the Driller Athletic Society and has been co-ordinating the fundraising for the Grade 7-8 annual dryland sailor trip.
“It’s been running since I was a kid there and is a pretty cool opportunity,” she said.
For Wright, volunteering keeps her connected to the community.
“Because I work in Calgary I miss a lot of the social aspects of it,” she said. “There’s always a need for people to give their time and if I can spare it, I will do it.”
