Two Cochranites will receive provincial recognition for their dedication to the Cochrane Army Cadets.
Kara Hughes and Lt. Don Richards will both be honoured with awards from the Army Cadet League of Canada on Feb. 25.
Hughes is being awarded the Colonel Lee S Thompson award – presented to a volunteer, parent or family member who has shown dedication to furthering the army cadet movement.
“I am very honoured to be receiving the Colonel Lee S Thompson Award; there are numerous volunteers that work extremely hard for the cadet program to help make it the amazing program it is,” Hughes explained.
“I have seen first hand the benefits of participating in the cadet program and I feel blessed to be able to be a part of such an amazing and rewarding program for today’s young men and women.”
Hughes sits on the Cochrane Army Cadets’ parenting society as the corps sponsoring committee chair and has been nominated for the Colonel Lee S Thompson award three times in as many years. This will be her second time winning the award.
Lt. Don Richards will receive the Honour Officer Award. The criteria for the award is the commanding officer needs to be innovative, involved with cadets, knowledgeable about the program’s standards and curriculum, and committed to spending extra time and effort with the cadets.
“I feel definitely surprised but happy,” Richards said.
This is the first time the Lt. will be receiving the Honour Officer Award after volunteering and serving the Cochrane cadets for 17 years. Richards has been previously awarded with a Command Team Coin.
Both Cochrane nominees were chosen from several candidates throughout the province.
“The cadet program is all about teaching accountability and responsibility, teamwork and leadership, and encouraging participation, citizenship and camaraderie. I feel we are very fortunate to have a cadet corps in our community and through the support of our many volunteers and the Cochrane community, the Cochrane Army Cadet Corps has flourished in the past few years,” Hughes said.
The Honour Luncheon, where the awards will be presented, takes place on Feb. 25 starting at 11:30 a.m. at the Coast Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre, located at 1316 33 St. NE in Calgary.
For more information on the Cochrane Army Cadets go to kocr.ca
