Volunteering is like wetting your pants when you’re wearing black trousers — it gives you a nice warm feeling but nobody notices.
But no community can exist without volunteers and Cochrane is so fortunate to have so many in so many different fields.
We realize folks don’t volunteer to obtain recognition but that’s no reason to listen to them and that’s why we have the community awards program.
It’s been going a few years now and it simply recognizes folks who contribute to our community and most are volunteers.
There’s everything from employer of the year to ambassador of the year to volunteer group of the year to citizen of the year.
All worthwhile recognition to be sure and nominations for every category closes April 12.
It’s not much time but there’s still time to get your nomination in, just go to ccawards.ca and get all the information.
I realize it’s totally presumptuous of me to even suggest someone who could possibly be named for one of the awards, but darn the torpedoes, I will anyway.
The nomination criteria states, “The difference they have made to improve life in Cochrane.”
Now turn to page 25 and read the column.
Order of Cochrane? Ambassador of the year? Citizen? Senior? Community Builder?
Any one of these could well apply.
Or maybe we need a new award.
How about inspiration of the year?
How about an award for someone who quietly displays and shares the courage we all hope is within us.
It’s one thing to volunteer for a cause but it’s quite another to volunteer ones feelings and emotions.
It’s relatively easy to get involved with kids’ sports but quite another to volunteer to personally share the final journey.
Maybe we need another award.
Maybe we need an award to recognize inspirational leadership.
An award to recognize people who share of themselves to make the lives of others more bearable.
It would be our opportunity to say thank you and our opportunity to share.
Just as Gaydon has shared with us and improved the life of so many.
Speaking of volunteering for a very good cause.
May 8 is McHappy Day.
Now I know for most folks in Cochrane every day is a McHappy Day, especially if you’re thinking of running for mayor, but this one is traditional and special.
This is the 20th anniversary of McDonald’s McHappy Day where a dollar from the sale of every Big Mac, Happy Meal and any size Hot McCafe will be donated to Ronald McDonald House in southern Alberta.
So, May 8 I’ll be at the McDonald’s wicket handing out Big Macs.
I’m not very good at serving, so I would suggest you wear rubber pants in case I spill the coffee in your lap.
It could be a nice warm feeling like volunteering. It’s the volunteers that make this community so great.
