Volunteers are the backbone to every successful community and the kindness they share with their acts of giving comes in many different forms.

To honour them the Town of High River is hosting the first ever Volunteers of the Year awards.

The Town has ramped up their support of the National Volunteer Week this year by starting this new award to recognize all the amazing volunteers we have in town.

Shelley Koot, Manager of Community Support Services, says there are several categories.

"We have a category for youth, adults, seniors, business and families or groups," said Koot. "So we are quite excited to give those out this year."

Entries have closed for this and winners will be choosen in time for the High River Town Council meeting on April 24th.

The winners will be honoured at a ceremony at the Highwood Golf Club on April 25th.

Koot says they changed things up this year so the old Volunteer of the Year award, which was presented to one person in September, will now go to several people and/or groups.

"Typically those awards were chosen by Council and they were just for committee members who were members of boards or committees of council."

So if you were on a board like the Museum of the Highwood, Sheppard Family Park or the Recreation Board you could win it.

Tammy Beach won it in September, 2016.

"That was our last year running it that way," Koot added.
 
Family and Community Support Services had their own awards for Volunteer Week so a decision was made to combine the two.

This way they could honour everyone from simple acts, like shoveling a sidewalk when you realize your senior neighbour can no longer handle the job, to the volunteers who take a lot of training to fill complex roles.

"We value each of those volunteers in a similar way. It doesn't always have to be a big shiny show, or something that is very formal."

"I think those that help people carry their groceries out to their cars, or plan hockey tournaments, every one of those volunteers are critical for our community."

She added volunteers in High River make sure there are lunches for kids, drivers for people who have need to get to medical appointments and they make sure there are committees and boards that make social profit organizations and foundations run.

"Every role is critical," said Koot.

The Town of High River also has free thank you cards residents can pick up to thank a volunteer. You can pick them up at the Town office or at the FCSS office in the Charles Clark Medical Centre.

A current list of volunteer opportunities in High River can be found here or by calling 403-603-3447.