A pair of Skate Humboldt volunteers picked up Skate Canada volunteer awards.
Larry Durand was presented with the SASKEnergy Regional Champion Volunteer Award, which recognizes the outstanding contributions made to skating at the club and regional level.
Originally, Durand was presented with the Skate Humboldt award and was then nominated for the regional award because of that. He said he was really surprised when he received the nomination from the club.
“It wasn’t until a couple of weeks later that I just received something in the mail from the provincial body, Skate Canada Saskatchewan that I had actually won the regional volunteer award...it was definitely nice to be recognized,” he said.
Durand says you do not volunteer for the recognition but it is a nice feeling.
Durand first became involved in Skate Humboldt in 2007 when his two daughters registered for the CanSkate program, becoming coordinator of the program the following year.
Durand took on even more responsibility becoming the Carnival Coordinator in 2009.
By 2010, Durand had become president of the club announcing at numerous test days, carnivals and competitions.
In 2013 Durand stepped down as president, but remained in the role of past president and mentor and assumed the role of CanPowerSkate coordinator.
This year Durand was at the forefront of the organization and planning of the Region 7 Regional Invitational Competiton and CanSkate FunFest.
Durand says it is important for him and his family to do as much volunteer work as they can and says with his daughter enrolled in the program it is a perfect opportunity to spent time with his family while volunteering at the same time.
“We’ve tried to focus our efforts more so on things that are family oriented because if we didn’t it would be hard to keep a good balance between family and volunteer life.”
Nadia Stevenson also received a volunteer award as she collected the Section Volunteer Award, which is presented to an active and currently registered adult volunteer whose efforts have produced specific, positive results in his/her section whose contributions reflect passion for the sport and its participants; who is an exemplary role model for other volunteers, skaters, coaches and leads by example and long term commitment, awareness and interest in the future direction of the sport.
Stevenson said she was very honoured when he found out that she had been selected as this years recipient.
“I know that there’s a lot of people out there that are just as worthy as I perhaps but I was honoured to represent those people as well.”
Stevenson has been involved in skating for more than 25 years in a number of different roles including, Data Specialist Sub-Committee Chairperson for the past four years, Chief Data Specialist for Sask Skate/Sask Open, Chief Data Specialist for Regional Invitational Competition in Saskatoon, Melfort, and Humboldt, she has been a member of the Competition Committee, a member of the Officials’ Coordinating Committee, and a Clinic Conductor for Data Specialists.
Stevenson has also volunteered her time by officiating at competitions throughout the provincial and national level including the Prairie Regional Synchronized Skating Championships and Skate Canada Challenge.
Stevenson says it is important for her to volunteer her time with skating clubs community and it is worth all the work to help young and up and coming skaters.
She says she looks forward to continuing to help for as long as possible.
“I will continue as long as I can to help out… I quite enjoy doing the work and helping the community out.”
