Charlottetown Great thing happen here

Sunil, owner of 4S Catering, was nominated for his selfless efforts to give back to the community and assist those in need. He provides free meals each month to those who may not be able to afford a good meal, and he supports the community – volunteering his time and talents often – through his catering business and family-run non-profit organization 4 Love 4 Care. Sunil can often be found at the Farmers’ Market, DiverseCity Festivals, Farm Day in the City, and many other events. While he’s usually there with the catering business, his proceeds often go to charitable efforts. As an example, Sunil and the 4S Catering team once donated their time to create a three-course meal for 300 people for the Diwali Festival so that the proceeds could go to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Sunil also assists with community fundraisers, often taking the lead and donating thousands of dollars, hundreds of hours as well as providing food. There are many examples of how Sunil has helped others in the community. Last year, for example, he helped a family of five secure an accessible vehicle, and assisted another family by providing them with groceries for a month. Recently, he has been helping people access free meals and groceries during the pandemic, even delivering them personally to keep the service accessible to all.

Thank you for all you do for others, Sunil! Congratulations on being named a 2020 Citizen Recognition Award recipient!

Paul was nominated for his long-standing work with Charlottetown Rotary, serving in the roles of President (2017-2018) and Treasurer (since 2019). He has been a board member for the past 20 years. He was one of several founders of Rotary Radio Bingo, a successful fundraiser that has allowed the Rotary Club to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to Island charities and non-profit organizations. Paul is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow, including two honorary awards by the Rotary Club of Charlottetown for exemplary service. He was also recently named Rotarian of the Year by the Rotary Club of Charlottetown for his dedication and commitment to the Club. Most recently, he participated on the Rotary Covid-19 Pandemic Committee, which was initiated to help offset the impact of the pandemic on Islanders. Outside of his commitment to Rotary, Paul completed 20 years of service with Easter Seals PEI, including 14 years as treasurer. He was also the Co-Chair of Easter Seals PEI Campaign (2015-2016) and served on the Easter Seals National Board (2015-2017). He also serves on the City of Charlottetown Affordable Housing Committee. Paul's latest venture includes creating and coordinating a Rotary Satellite Club of the Charlottetown club to ensure even more ways for Rotarians to give back to their community.

Thank you for all you do for the community, Paul! Congratulations on being named a 2020 Citizen Recognition Award recipient!

Dominique, the Principal at Colonel Gray High School, was nominated for her leadership during the pandemic, her unending support of the staff and students, and for the way she goes above and beyond her role to provide an inclusive and welcoming environment. Dominique helped ensure the Class of 2020 was still able to celebrate this year by moving the graduation ceremony to the Brackley Drive-in and launching a Grad Lawn Sign project to have each individual graduate recognized. She was instrumental in a project to celebrate the school’s diversity, and actively tries to approach all ideas and projects from her team with enthusiasm and support. She is known to have an open-mind and a willingness to take on new challenges. This year, she supported students in their efforts to host new events, such as a homecoming dance and international coffeehouse. When work needs to be done at the school, Dominique is known to roll up her sleeves and participate in the work like when she constructed a statue for a school musical and even renovated and painted a new room to be used for student support. She leads by example and her colleagues describe her as selfless, humble, reliable, and approachable.

Thank you for the leadership that you show each and every day, Dominique! Congratulations on being named a 2020 Citizen Recognition Award recipient!

The David Eli MacEachern Bursary was established in recognition of Prince Edward Island’s first Olympic Gold Medalist, Charlottetown native, David Eli MacEachern. It is presented annually to a student graduating from Charlottetown Rural High School, Colonel Gray High School, or École François-Buote who is dedicated to excellence in sport during their high school years; competes with honour, fairness, sportsmanship, and appreciation for others; demonstrates a passion for life, learning, and excellence; and who is planning continued education and development in their chosen field of sport.

Charlie has been a competitive swimmer for the last ten years, setting and/or breaking most PEI male age-group freestyle records and being a top-ranked Atlantic Canadian swimmer for most of his junior career. In 2019, Charlie was named by Swimming Canada as a top ten junior national athlete, identified as a prospect for the National Junior PanPac Team, and named the recipient of Swim PEI’s Barney Bree Award, in addition to qualifying for the 2020 Canadian Olympic Swimming Trials. Charlie’s passion for excellence is not limited to the pool. A top student, Charlie is also a student-musician, playing tenor saxophone in Colonel Gray’s concert and jazz bands, as well as playing as a member of the local jazz ensemble. His commitment to the community and to volunteerism through the mentoring and coaching of young swimmers has also earned him the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Bronze and Silver Awards. Charlie will continue his education in Computer Engineering at McGill University this Fall where he will also compete as a member of the varsity swim team. In addition to balancing his university studies, he also has his sights set on representing Canada at the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Congratulations Charlie on receiving the David Eli MacEachern Bursary! We wish you all the best in your studies at McGill!

The Forbes Kennedy Volunteer of the Year Award was established in 2019 in honour of Forbes Kennedy, a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who approached his 30-year on-ice career with commitment and determination. When his playing days finished, he dedicated his time to coaching junior leagues, with his teams consistently finishing at or near the top of the league. He made a positive impact on many young players and their families. The Award goes to someone in the community who has made a positive impact and shows the same dedication and determination exemplified by “Forbie” himself.

Betty Begg-Brooks provides free items, such as food, clothing, furniture, household objects, toys, etc. to Islanders in need through Gifts from the Heart Inc. Betty and her team have established strong partnerships in the community and work closely with organizations like the Canadian Red Cross, Anderson House, Blooming House, and the John Howard Society to provide support and assistance in their programs and community outreach. As part of this work, Gifts from the Heart delivers food to more than 100 seniors, as well as to women in safe housing facilities each week. Betty and her team also create and deliver food hampers to those in need on a regular basis. Betty is known to give of her time freely and has served as a volunteer in communities throughout Europe and parts of Canada with organizations like the Canadian Red Cross, the Ontario Brian Injury Association, Salvation Army, and Royal Canadian Legion Ladies Auxiliary – to name a few.

Thank you for all you do for the community, Betty! Congratulations on being named the Forbes Kennedy Volunteer of the Year Award recipient!