Civic Awards - July 21 2009

It’s awards season in Palmerston North. I don’t mean Emmy awards (though it’s nice to see some getting recognition in Hollywood) or academy awards, but our very own Civic Awards.

I’ve never been one for formalities, but the longer I spend in this role, the more I have come to understand the importance of some of the traditions and formal occasions that are a part of our lives.  The Palmerston North Civic awards were initiated in 1988 by the then mayor Paul Rieger.  Through them we seek to acknowledge the phenomenal work done in our community by some outstanding individuals.

Over the 21 years the awards have been in place, 96 awards have been given out.  As I was reading through the citations of the awardees recently it dawned on me that those 96 people’s achievements reflect, not hundreds, but thousands of years of voluntary effort.  Just pause for a moment and think about that… thousands of years…..and that’s not all.  As I was reading some of the names I realized that many of them are still actively involved in community service within Palmerston North.

Too often we take people for granted.  It’s easy for us to assume that there will be someone else who will take responsibility if we don’t.  Thankfully we live in a community where thousands of volunteers do ensure that we have a great city to live, learn, work and play in. 

The challenge I put to us all is to ask ourselves “What am I doing to contribute the well-being of those who live around me?”  There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in the life of our community, whether it’s coaching a sports team, delivering meals on wheels, service clubs or anything else on an unending list, that provide not only a great service to the community, but also a great opportunity to meet other people and gain some satisfaction.

In the mean time, if you know of someone who is an “unsung hero” in our community who you think deserves to be recognized for their commitment and effort, why not nominate them for a Civic Award. 

It’s as simple as calling Lisa Guthrie on 351-4417. 

Nominations close on July 31st