The nominees for Citizen and Group of the Year 2023, presented by the Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce, met for a special reception at the Moose Jaw Events Centre on Feb. 6 to receive their certificates and congratulations from the community.
Attendees for the occasion heard from Moose Jaw's Mayor Clive Tolley, Scott Greenough of CAE, and Don Howe, president of the Chamber of Commerce.
Each individual and group was then invited up to receive their certificate and take a photo with Greenough and Howe. The winners of the respective awards were announced during the intermission of the Feb. 6 game between the Moose Jaw Warriors and the Edmonton Oil Kings, held at the Event's Centre.
"We're going to announce the winners later on tonight," Greenough told the nominees, "but I think everyone here agrees that everyone who's been nominated is a winner. ... Someone took the time to put your name forward as someone who's doing something extra for our community, something extra for our community, and I think you're a winner just by doing that."
"If you've been nominated, please accept that as an endorsement by this community that what you're doing is valued," Mayor Tolley said. "From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate everything that you've done in terms of volunteer work and commitment to our community."
The nominees for the 2023 Citizen and Group of the Year Awards are:
- Citizen of the Year nominees:
- Aaron Ruston
- Alex Carleton
- Dianne & Larry Hellings
- Jared Mathieson
- TaraLynn Parker
- Group of the Year nominees:
- 2023 World Para Ice Hockey Championship Organizing Committee
- Journey to Hope Moose Jaw
- Moose Jaw Diversified Services
- Spike Grooming Staff
Each of the nominated individuals and groups was chosen because of the time they have donated and the efforts they've made to improve life for the citizens of Moose Jaw. Aaron Ruston is involved with groups like the 15 Wing Fellowship, the Moose Jaw Shriners, the Moose Jaw Health Foundation, and Habitat for Humanity; Alex Carleton, owner of Cask 82 and the Crushed Can, donates time, space, and money to many fundraising events in the city, including as an organizer; Dianne and Larry Hellings have for years collected small items from January onward in order to donate them as Christmas gifts to hundreds of children in Moose Jaw, with each gift wrapped and individually labelled.
Jared Mathieson is known for his leadership of River Street Promotions and for bringing quality musical acts from across North America to perform for charity in Moose Jaw, helping to raise hundreds of thousands for causes like the Moose Jaw Health Foundation and youth mental health. Finally, TaraLynn Parker was nominated for her hundreds of hours of volunteer work, including as an organizer, and has channelled 10s of thousands to worthy causes in Moose Jaw.
For the Group of the Year nominees, the 2023 World Para Ice Hockey Championship Organizing Committee put in overtime in June to make sure the event (held in Canada for the very first time) was a resounding success. The Journey to Hope Moose Jaw team has spent years raising awareness, facilitating mental health first aid, and organizing youth groups to fight suicide and comfort those affected by suicide.
The Moose Jaw Diversified Services team was nominated for their volunteerism in helping Moose Jaw's differently abled residents to live active, contributing, social lives. Finally, the owner and employees of Spike Grooming have participated in many fundraisers for the Moose Jaw Humane Society, including contributing considerable time and funds of their own to nurture and provide for the city's pets and strays.
