The Town of Petrolia has awarded PMHA president Nick Salaris the town's 2015 "Volunteer of the Year- Sports and Recreation" award. Mr. Salaris is to be commended for his excellent work and tireless effort in making Petrolia Minor Hockey Association a first-class organization that serves the youth of our community.
Again I must apologize for failing to master the attachment function of the website. The article with photo can be viewed at the Town's website ( http://town.petrolia.on.ca ) in the Feb 19-March3 2016 issue of Petrolia Connection. The text of the article is below. Congratulations to Nick. He is certainly a worthy recipient.
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: February 18, 2016
TITLE: PETROLIA MAYOR CELEBRATES VOLUNTEERISM
Mayor John McCharles and Town of Petrolia staff were pleased to honour
all Town volunteers last night in the annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. More than one hundred people
attended the event at the Petrolia Legion and were treated to dinner and an evening of celebration of
their efforts for the Town. The value of these volunteers was outlined by the value for every one
hundred volunteers being just over the equivalent of $350,000.00 in man hours.
Service Club Presidents, Town Committees, Victoria Playhouse Petrolia volunteers, and many
other groups were recognized at the event. The evening culminated with Mayor McCharles awarding
the Volunteer of the Year Awards in four categories, and one special recognition. The four categories
have been designed to cover as many of the volunteer categories as possible, with a criteria set for
each one to assist the selection committee in making the final decision.
The ‘Volunteer of the Year 2015 –Sports and Recreation’ was presented to Nick Salaris.
Nick was presented his award at the start of the dinner so that he may attend to volunteer duties. Nick
is the President of the Petrolia Minor Hockey Association, where he is also a coach. He is involved with
Petrolia Minor Soccer, and he has been instrumental in the Petrolia bid for Kraft Hockeyville 2016. He
also works tirelessly with the Silver Stick committee, and through his job with L.C.D.S., he is a driving
force behind the Annual Pork BBQ, and many other events.
The second award was presented to Rosanne Orcutt in the category of ‘Volunteer of the Year 2015 –
Community Service’. This award looks at an individual whohas many different volunteer
interests. Rosanne is a retired teacher, and is a founding member of Charlotte’s Task Force for Rural
Health working to maintain C.E.E. Hospital in our community. She is a volunteer member of the
Bluewater Health Rural Health Advisory Panel, the Chair of the Doctors Recruitment Committee –
responsible for helping to bring four new doctors to our community. Rosanne volunteers to work with
students to understand the importance of Participatory Democracy; won the Samara Canada Award
for promoting democracy, and she volunteered to organize action against truck traffic through our
downtown.
The third award, ‘Volunteer of the Year 2015 –Community Partnership’ was presented to Les
Whiting. Les is a retired teacher, he is the Town Crier, where he is an advocate for Petrolia wherever he
goes; a member, (and past president) of The Rotary Club of Petrolia. He is a master woodworker, and
he uses those skills on the Rotary band shell and the Petrolia Legion cannon wheels, among other
projects. He is the Chairperson for the Committee of Adjustment, and sat on the Victoria Hall re-building
committee and several other planning committees for Petrolia.
The fourth of the evening, ‘Volunteer of the Year 2015 –Arts and Culture’ was presented to
Sylvia Fairbank. Sylvia is a volunteer usher, greeter, will call person and raffle ticket seller
for the Victoria Playhouse Petrolia, she is a member of Petrolia Community Theatre; a member of the
Community Services Committee, and is very active in her church. She was instrumental in bringing a
Syrian family to Petrolia, she is a member of the Victoria Hall Art Advisory Committee; an Art in the
Park board member and volunteer, and she offers historical and informative hop on bus tours of the
town of Petrolia to visitors.
A special recognition award was handed out to a long-standing volunteer in the town of
Petrolia. Pat Traichevich has recently retired from serving on the Community Services Advisory
Committee after a number of years at service to the Town. As a devoted volunteer, she worked
tirelessly to secure a large marching band for the Petrolia Santa Claus Parade; a dream which she
achieved in 2015. Pat was always visible at Parks and Recreation events, and was the first to offer help.
She is a member of the I.O.D.E. and also volunteers at Lambton Meadowview Villa.
Mayor McCharles couldn’t say enough to thank all of the volunteers saying that “…our Town is
great because of all of you…our sincere thanks to each and every one of you.”
Each of the honourees was awarded a framed certificate from the Mayor, and a glass award
with the Town’s clock tower on the face and bouquets of flowers.
For more information:
John McCharles
Mayor
Town of Petrolia