Country Day School student Karsen Roy has been presented\nwith the 2020 Youth Volunteer Award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Youth Volunteer Award is presented to a citizen up to\nthe age of 19 who has demonstrated their commitment for being a positive leader\nwithin the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cKarsen Roy is an exemplary youth that cares deeply about\nher community,\u201d said Mayor Mrakas. \u201cShe has accumulated more than 220 community\nservice hours by contributing to a variety of programs and projects. She is a\nhigh-level athlete that spends a lot of time volunteering with various groups\nlike the special needs soccer program and the younger Panthers team. She has\nsupported organizations like Me to We, Run for the Cure, and was one of the\noriginal members of the Country Day School Cares Team [comprised of] students\nand faculty members who organize school-wide food and non-food donation drives\nand deliver homemade lunches to the homeless.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition, Karsen has served as House Captain for the\nRelay for Life Fundraiser, where the team raised more than $20,000 for the\nCanadian Cancer Society. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo say she is an engaged student is an understatement.\nKarsen is a positive role model for young people and is the type of person who\nwants everyone to feel included. Karsen spreads sunshine and positivity wherever\nshe goes. Not only is she a wonderful role model for young people, she reminds\nall generations that our hearts do not have a limit, and that \u2018giving\u2019 is an\naction that never runs dry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SENIOR VOLUNTEER AWARD \u2013 GARY KRYSHKA<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Gary Kryshka, who received the 40-Year Volunteer Service\naward earlier on Monday evening, took home a second honour, being awarded the\nSenior Volunteer Award for his more than 40 years of service with Big Brothers\nBig Sisters of York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through the mentorship organization, Kryshka has served\nas a Director, Treasurer, and now as Board Chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe organization\u2019s mentoring program matches children\nand young people with a uniquely suited role model to talk to and share common\ninterests with,\u201d said Mayor Mrakas. \u201cWith the support of their volunteer\nmentors, children are able to increase their self confidence, enhance social\nskills, and engage in new experiences within the community. Gary currently sits\nas the agency\u2019s chair and over the course of 40 years, [he] has changed many\npeople\u2019s lives with his volunteerism. Gary has seen the agency through some ups\nand downs, never losing faith in the cause and the work they are doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n GREEN AWARD \u2013 OLIVIA SCOTT<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 11-year-old Olivia Scott has a passion for keeping Aurora\nclean and beautiful \u2013 and her efforts have been recognized with the Green\nAward, which is presented to individuals or organizations that support\nprotection, preservation, sustainability and conservation of the natural\nenvironment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTonight, we present the Green Award to Olivia Scott for her\nendless commitment to keeping Aurora a clean and beautiful place to live,\u201d said\nMayor Mrakas. \u201cAlong with her family, Olivia regularly participates in\ncommunity-wide clean-ups in green spaces around her home. She encourages\nneighbours and community members to get involved and care for the natural\nenvironment around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOlivia brings her passion for preserving nature to her\nschool, where she implements her knowledge in every day learning. Her example\ninspires other students, they are more aware of recycling habits and use less\nsingle-use plastics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI met Olivia last year when she came to me with her\nconcerns about Aurora\u2019s garbage management methods. I invited her and her\nfriends to come to Aurora Town Hall to discuss the matter more. I was\npleasantly surprised by how passionate and dedicated Olivia was in making a\ndifference in her community. At only 11-years-old, she has demonstrated\ninitiative and leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n ARTS & CULTURE AWARD \u2013 THEATRE AURORA<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For more than 60 years, Theatre Aurora has been bringing\nlive theatre to the community \u2013 and this year, they are recognized with the\nArts & Culture Award, an accolade inspired by the Johnson Family, honouring\nindividuals and groups who have enhanced the community through their support of\nculture, music, visual, performing or literary arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTheatre Aurora is entirely [comprised] of volunteers who\nnot only work on stage as actors but also in other areas behind the curtain,\u201d\nsaid Mayor Mrakas. \u201cTheatre Aurora has a Youth Program dedicated to educating\nyoung people in theatre arts and providing opportunities to take on roles based\non their interest and skill level. Theatre Aurora is committed to fostering and\nsustaining a respectful space where theatre lovers can thrive, learn and grow\ntogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTheatre Aurora spreads inspiration, education and\nentertainment for those who are friends of the theatre. Thank you for your\ncontinual artistic contributions to the vitality and culture of Aurora.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP \u2013 (Tie) STEVE FALK, OPTIMIST CLUB OF AURORA<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Community Leadership Award is presented to an\nindividual or organization that has \u201csignificantly enhanced the Town through\ntheir contribution, commitment and leadership in areas of charitable giving,\ncivic engagement, community events or community spirit.\u201d This year, the\nCommunity Leadership Award has been presented to both an individual and\norganization \u2013 a tie between Steve Falk and the Optimist Club of Aurora.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSteve Falk is a generous and caring individual who cares\ndeeply about the wellbeing of his community members,\u201d said Mayor Mrakas, highlighting\nMr. Falk\u2019s work at Aurora United Church, its Rise & Shine breakfast\nprogram, and his band, Soul Benefit, which donates its time to community\ncauses. \u201cTo date, it is estimated that Soul Benefit has raised over $2 million\nfor charity over the past 20 years. By example, Steve expects members to\ndisplay generosity, kindness, loyalty, and commitment to each other, as well as\nto the greater community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy nature, Steve has influenced countless youth and\nadults he has met over his lifetime. His motto in life is to serve \u2013 to see\nwhere there is a need and, in some way, to then fill that need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Optimist Club of Aurora shares a similar philosophy,\ndedicating their energies to youth programs across Aurora. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Optimist Club of Aurora has been involved in youth\nactivities, youth-oriented programs and Town of Aurora activities for the last\n35 years. All of the funds they raise go directly back to the youth of Aurora.\nThe Club has been innovative and has developed many different programs to meet\nthe needs of the youth in Aurora. Almost all youth in the Town of Aurora have,\nat some point, been positively affected by the efforts of the Optimist Club.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n GOOD NEIGHBOUR AWARD \u2013 SAM PAPUTSIS<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Recognizing simple acts of kindness and compassion, this\nyear\u2019s recipient of the Good Neighbour Award is Sam Paputsis, who is described\nas a \u201ccompassionate, kind, generous and thoughtful person towards all of his\nneighbours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSam helps his neighbours regularly by shovelling their\ndriveways, mowing their lawns, and keeping an eye on things while they are away\non holiday. But, on top of this help, Sam provides his neighbours with\nunconditional and invaluable emotional support. For example, one of Sam\u2019s\nneighbours had surgery where they could not drive for a month. Sam was there\nregularly at their doorstep to take them for a drive and to get a coffee. Sam\nis a handyman where if you need something fixed or if your tire needs air,\nhe\u2019ll just jump there to lend a helping hand. Sam never expects any of his good\ndeeds to be rewarded as he is a genuinely kind-hearted, caring individual.\nEveryone should have a neighbour like Sam on their street.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n COMMUNITY SAFETY AWARD \u2013 Luka Miljanov<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Grade 11 student Luka\nMilkanov has harnessed the power of his homemade 3D printers to create face\nshields and other PPE for frontline healthcare workers. In recognition of his\nwork, the Town of Aurora has honoured him with the Community Safety Award,\nwhich is presented to individuals dedicated to improving community safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe is building 3D printed masks from polyacid to donate\nto long-term care facilities in Aurora. Over the March Break, Luka learned\nabout the shortages of PPE. So, he readjusted his machine to print face shields\nin just one hour instead of 12 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLuka analysed the situation and thought to himself, \u2018How\ncan I help? What can I do?\u2019 and, from there, he got busy with printing. He has\nbeen sharing his production with Chartwell Aurora and Chartwell Hollandview\nTrail. So far, he has made 40 masks and is striving to make 100 in total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n GOOD BUSINESS AWARD \u2013 JOE ANSELMO, AURORA HARVEY\u2019S\/SWISS CHALET<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Good Business Award is presented to a business that\nhas shown its commitment to corporate responsibility and community involvement\nthrough its ongoing support of charitable causes and programs. Exemplifying\nthat this year is Joe Anselmo of Harvey\u2019s and Swiss Chalet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJoe has gone out of his way to contribute to the\ncommunity in any way he or his restaurant can. For the past three years,\nHarvey\u2019s Swiss Chalet has provided 250 free meals to the Welcoming Arms\norganization during the Christmas holiday. The restaurant is a huge supporter\nof recreational sports as they have sponsored soccer and baseball teams in\nAurora. They have also hosted hockey and sports parties for teams for free,\nwhich include their food, drinks, d\u00e9cor, and facility at no charge. \u201cJoe has\nnot only contributed to the community, but also to local businesses. In 2017,\nJoe started an initiative on Facebook called Aurora Restaurant News where the\ngroup is dedicated to sharing updates and promotions from local restaurants in\nAurora. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, [the company] started to offer\nhealthcare workers 50 per cent off their meals thanking them for all the hard\nwork they have been doing to keep our community safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was also recognized for his efforts with the Run 4\nSchools program, helping to provide student lunches for a nominal fee, as well\nas his fundraising work with the Heart & Stroke Foundation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n INCLUSIVITY AWARD \u2013 LISA LEONI<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Lisa Leoni, Principal of Regency Acres Public School, has\nbeen recognized with the 2020 Inclusivity Award, an honour reserved for\nindividuals, groups or businesses who contribute to making Aurora a more\naccessible place for all to live, work and play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ms. Leoni has been honoured for her dedication in\ncreating an inclusive school environment where inclusivity, respect and\nkindness are the orders of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLisa recognizes that it is crucial for her students to\nhave a positive mindset, so she initiated the mindfulness room. This is a\ndedicated space to support students\u2019 mental health and social wellbeing through\nthe day at school. For physical health, Lisa has partnered with Activate Aurora\nas they co-organize community events such as Pause to Play. Lisa supports their\nschool\u2019s initiative for the snack cart, where students can access healthy snack\nitems throughout the day as many of them might not have access to breakfast in\nthe morning. The program also has no stigma around it, so students feel\ncomfortable getting food when they need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen the school has new families, she shares community supports and services that will visit them in their homes, help them with language barriers and assist with navigating community services. Lisa wants to make [her students] well-versed and familiar with social justice topics. Indigenous education has been expanded upon incorporating [recommendations from the Truth & Reconciliation Commission] and the LGBTQ2S+ community is recognized and discussed openly at the school. Regency Acres has the first ever elementary Gender Sexuality Alliance, which was initiated to support this marginalized group.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n By Brock Weir<\/strong><\/p>\n\r\n Volunteers are the lifeblood of every community \u2013 and their work is perhaps needed now more than ever before as we look for new ways to give back and lend a hand in this present \u201cnew normal\u201d \u2013 and Aurora found a new way of expressing its gratitude Monday night as the Town hosted the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general_news","category-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3D2k4-6Y8","publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-22 17:51:18","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26792"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26792\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Facebook\"](\"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-content\/plugins\/social-media-feather\/synved-social\/image\/social\/regular\/48x48\/facebook.png\" "\\"Share")
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