Seidel awarded Citizen of the Year for all his contributions
By Christopher Lee
Journal Reporter
The Humboldt Citizen of the Year has been selected and the recipient has been a long time member of the community.
Mark Seidel first moved to Humboldt in the 1960’s and has been involved in various activities and organizations ever since.
Seidel said that he was “very emotional” and “overwhelmed” when he found out that he was awarded this years Citizen of the Year.
He said that it was a great feeling to know that the people of Humboldt appreciated the contributions that he made to the city.
“I’m really happy to be the Citizen of the Year and I hope I can live up to it,” he said.
Seidel has been president of many different community organizations, including the Junior Chamber of Commerce, the Humboldt & District Swimming Pool Association, the Humboldt Swim Club, the Humboldt & District Sports Hall of Fame and the Humboldt Golf Club.
Over the years Seidel has played an instrumental role in bringing a number of events to Humboldt including the demolition derby, the Provincial Convention, the Provincial Curlfest, the Quill Plains Winter Games and the Pulmonary Survey.
Events were not the only thing Seidel played a role in.
He also helped start up girls hockey, was a charter member of the Humboldt & District Sports Hall of Fame, and he helped make the 18-hole Humboldt Golf Course a reality. He helped prepare a report that brought a health care facility to Humboldt, he helped bring in a new landfill to Humboldt, and helped in the creation of the Humboldt Uniplex. He was apart of creating the Industrial Park, and assisted in moving SaskPower there. He was involved in upgrading the museum, campground and Centennial Park, helped develop of Bill Brecht Park and the south side residential development and was apart of bringing the airport to primary status. He helped bring a new library to town, he volunteered many hours to the cause of bringing a telemiracle van to Humboldt, he helped secure an extension on the lagoon system and was also involved in upgrading the water reservoir holding capacity.
Seidel was also a Big Brother for 13 years and he says he still stays in contact with his little brother to this day.
Due to the lengthy list of accomplishments and causes Seidel has assisted in in his life, Gwen Saret saw it as a no brainer that he be nominated for the Citizen of the Year award and decided to nominate him.
“He has done so much for the town and city over the years. I’ve known him for a long time and knew that he had done so much and volunteered so much so that was the reason, I thought he deserved it,” she said.
Saret says she isn’t surprised to see that Seidel won and said that seeing the town grow is what Seidel is all about.
“That is the type of person that he is, he enjoys helping. He likes to see the city grow, he always has, he always wanted to see the town grow and prosper.”
For Seidel he says that helping out with causes is normal because as a young kid he was always taught by his mother and father that helping others and volunteering your time was important as a citizen of any town.
Seidel said that of all his accomplishments for the city of Humboldt getting the uniplex was the one he appreciates.
Junior citizen already had an extensive resume
By Becky Zimmer
Journal Editor
He has been a volunteer at Camp Kinasao at Christopher Lake, a Swim Saskatchewan officiate, a leader at summer camps and bible schools, and mascots for Telemiracle, Broncos and Ducks Unlimited.
Adam Eichorst is only 15 and is the 2016 winner of the Junior Citizen of the Year.
Susan Dunne was the one to nominate Eichorst and felt he is a very deserving kid.
“He’s always willing to lend a hand and he’s there to inspire and empower people of all ages.”
Since 2011, Eichorst has taken up numerous volunteering opportunities in Humboldt.
“And he doesn’t quit,” says Dunne. “He does for himself and he doesn’t expect to get recognized.”
His generation is the next generation of leaders, says Dunne, so kids like Eichorst should be recognized.
For Eichorst, the lesson of helping others came from his parents.
“I started off helping my mom at her runs at the Humboldt and District Hospital Foundation and then eventually people just started to ask (me to volunteer), and I said sure.”
Volunteering has been fun for Eichorst and he continues to do it because he finds it to be an awesome experience.
Seeing his impact on other people has also been a great high point for Eichorst.
“Sometimes I’ll be helping out with the kids and they’re just in joy to see you.”
Kids recognize him outside of his volunteering, too, even coming up to him to say hi. He remembers them too.
“You change their lives.“
Seeing how people appreciate the help has an impact of Eichorst’s life.
“At some of the other places, they’re just so happy to see you there because they need you,” he says.
Humboldt Collegiate does a good job in “making” people volunteer, says Eichorst, who has very little trouble getting volunteer hours at school.
Sometimes they have to do a little pushing to get the students out and pitching in.
So what would he say to other kids his age about volunteering?
Just try it.
“They go out, and come back and say, ‘it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”
Eichorst does love working carpentry but he also has an interest in engineering and designing things to make as well.
“I’m looking at architecture almost because that incorporates the best of both worlds, I can build it but I can design it.”
Dunne says she expects him to go into something that keeps him busy.
“I can’t see him sitting for long,” says Dunne.
