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Nominations needed for 2019 Women of Excellence Awards

Jan 3, 2019 | 10:21 AM

More nominations are needed as the deadline approaches for this year’s Women of Excellence Awards.

Officials with the Red Deer and District Community Foundation (RDDCF) say the deadline to nominate someone for an award is January 11 at 4:30 p.m.

To date, approximately 300 women have been recognized as pillars in our communities, with the 12th annual fundraising Gala to be held June 19 at the Sheraton Red Deer.

Women can be nominated in 12 different categories, including: Agriculture; Arts, Culture and Heritage; Athletics, Recreation and Fitness; Business and the Professions; Community Building; Construction; Education and Training; Entrepreneurship; Environment; Health and Wellness; Human Services; and Young Women of Excellence.

Kristine Bugayong, Executive Director for the Red Deer & District Community Foundation says the awards program was established in 2008 to highlight stories of exemplary women who have made significant contributions to their community.

“We had 51 nominees last year and we are hoping that we can match that this year,” she exclaims. “We are now looking to the community to help us with that and we all know there are a lot of these women that are out there in our community doing what they do on a daily basis. A lot of them are really modest about their stories but the goal of this program is to highlight them and inspire other people to do the same.”

Bugayong says potential nominees are all around us.

“None of them are celebrities, though they are rock stars in the way they lead their lives and the way they do their work in the community,” she explains. “So it’s really, how do we unearth these people, these gems that are out there that people don’t really notice. This is really the perfect platform for it.”

Bugayong hopes the community doesn’t miss the January 11 deadline to nominate someone.

“All these women are living ordinary lives but they are extraordinary in the things that they do for everybody that surrounds them,” states Bugayong. “All of these women are not selfish individuals. They do what they do because they want to see better lives for not themselves but the people that surround them.”

Nominators must submit the basic nominee information (Statement of Nomination) by January 11, with letters of support and resumes submitted by January 30.

Online nomination forms can be found on the RDDCF’s website at www.rddcf.ca.

Nomination packages can also be picked up at the RDDCF’s office at Suite 503, 4901— 48th Street in Red Deer.

The Women of Excellence Gala is an annual fundraiser to support the future and development of local communities through the Red Deer & District Community Foundation.

The Foundation is described as a 360 degree grant maker, investing in projects, programs and organizations to build a stronger Central Alberta.