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Rotary octogenarian named Citizen of the Year

An octogenarian with a passion for making his community and the world a better place is the Comox Valley’s 2010 Citizen of the Year.
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Award winner Jorden Marshall of Hot Chocolates and Cakebread Artisan Bakery receives the Business of the Year Award from presenter Rick Gaiga. For more about annual community award winners

An octogenarian with a passion for making his community and the world a better place is the Comox Valley’s 2010 Citizen of the Year.

Bent Harder won the award Saturday night during the 2010 Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce Annual Community Awards at the Florence Filberg Centre.

The other finalists for Citizen of the Year were Charlie Zerkee and David Mellin.

Harder, who was not present at the awards ceremony, has travelled around the world volunteering for Rotaplast, which provides surgery to repair cleft pallets, and has volunteered for decades with many local organizations.

Last year, he was the community torchbearer for the Olympic Torch Relay. He also volunteered for days on end during the Olympics and Paralympics in Vancouver.

This year, the theme for the Community Awards was More Than Gold.

“It seemed appropriate this year to recognize the 2010 Olympics with the theme More Than Gold,” said Dianne Hawkins, executive director of the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce, who brought Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong — The Snow Leopard — to the awards as her special guest.

George Muir

President’s Merit

Award

Chamber of Commerce president Jeff Lucas presented the award to Susan Kelsey.

Kelsey’s real passion is fostering an interest in sports and the Olympics in local children, he explained.

“She personally visited almost every single classroom in the Comox Valley school district,” he said. “With her bronze medal from the 1976 Olympics in Montreal in hand, she has inspired countless children to appreciate sport for health and, more importantly, for fun.”

Business of the Year

Hot Chocolates and Cakebread Artisan Bakery was named the winner. First Insurance and Level 10 Eurospa were also finalists.

Heritage Recognition

Award

The Creative Employment Access Society (CEAS) prevailed over Canada Safeway and Ski Tak Hut.

CEAS has been operating continuously since 1984. Thousands of Valley residents have received help from CEAS, which is best known as The Job Shop.

Environmental

Initiative Award

George Harrison, an 80-year-old who has been collecting returnable beverage cans and bottles for the past 14 years, won the award. Coastal Community Credit Union and 1st Curbside Recycling were also finalists.

Harrison — who is known as the Million-Can Man — has donated $87,000 to local charitable groups, particularly the Child Development Association, by collecting cans and bottles. He started this initiative in memory of his oldest daughter, who, before her death, had epilepsy and mental disabilities caused by brain tumours.

Customer Service

Award

Dana Nutland, banquet manager at the Best Western Plus Westerly Hotel, earned the award. Other finalists were Kenny Scarff of Watson and Ash, and Kristie Persinger of Coastal Community Credit Union.

Nutland is described as “someone who goes above and beyond for all guests” in her nomination. “Executing all types of events, from weddings to conferences, Dana provides the kind of service that is difficult to find,” it noted.

Agricultural Business

of the Year

Eatmore Sprouts and Greens Ltd. won. The other finalists for this award were the BC Shellfish Growers’ Association and the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market Association.

Eatmore was established in 1975, employs 40 people year round and 50 in the summer months, and grows more than 8,000 pounds of organic sprouts and greens a week, 365 days a year on a little more than three acres of land.

New Business of the

Year Award

Locals — Food From the Heart of the Island won. The other finalists were Royston Roasting Company and the Holiday Inn Express.

Locals has been operating for slightly more than two years, and in that time, owners Tricia and Ronald St. Pierre have been keen promoters of locally produced foods and beverages and have worked hard to close the gap between producer and consumer.

Small Business of the

Year Award

Delaney Relocation Services earned the honours. Brian Kruse School of Dance and Planet Kids were also finalists.

Delaney has been providing assisted moving services for seniors for 10 years. This past year, Delaney mobilized to assist residents at a local retirement location following a serious flood, which required moving more than 25 seniors within just a few days.

Professional Merit

Award

Helen Boyd, co-ordinator of the Dawn to Dawn Care-A-Van, won.

The other finalists were the late Sherry Marshall-Bruce and Linda Oprica.

Three years ago, Boyd, a registered nurse, identified the need for medical attention among the homeless, who often had difficulty accessing necessary health care.

Local Hero Award

Tyler Smith, 17, received the award.

Kyle Davies and Christine Seminick were also finalists.

Smith rescued Christopher Hamilton when he found him in a ditch.

writer@comoxvalleyrecord.com