The Upper Grand District School Board has selected ten individuals or groups of people as the 2016 recipients of the board’s Everyday Heroes award. The honour has been given out every year since 2007.
The winners were chosen from 43 nominees, all deserving in their own right, according board spokesperson Heather Loney. There are teachers, volunteers and board staff among them, recognized for exceptional performance, significant achievements, innovations, and contributions under unique circumstances.
The recipients will be honoured at a reception with board trustees on Wednesday, June 1 at John F. Ross CVI, 25 Meyer Drive. The Rickson Ridge Symphonic Band will perform. The event gets underway at 7 p.m. in E.L. Fox Auditorium.
The winners are Aaron Duncan and Heather Walker, teachers at Rickson Ridge Public School; Jen Edwards, an Erin Public School volunteer; Fed Hoffman, a board volunteer; the Upper Grand Special Olympics committee of Michelle Kearley, John Rawson, Leta Vos, Kathleen Dropka, Pam Mundy, Erin Leslie, Starlene Steiner; Ponsonby Public School volunteer Tina Meissner; Nicola Patton, a Primrose Elementary School volunteer; Chad Ready, elementary curriculum leader at Grant Evans Education Centre; Patti Schopp, a Waverley Drive Public School educational assistant; Nancy Turner, a volunteer at Credit Meadows Elementary School; and Mark Yanchus, a John F. Ross CVI teacher.
The contributions and achievements of recipients were varied. Aaron Duncan and Heather Walker were recognized for their efforts to make Shakespeare’s plays more accessible. They started a non-profit theatre group to that end, and staged Yes! Shakespeare, the group’s first play.
Fred Hoffman started the annual Kiwanis Christmas lunch, which brings hundreds of students from the board’s special classes for developmental disabilities, along with staff and community members together.
Over a 10-year period, Tina Meissner has raised more than $10,000 for Ponsonby Public School through a host of events she organizes. And Nicole Patton coordinates Primrose Elementary’s breakfast program, arriving bright and early every morning to make it happen.
Chad Reay was recognized for his contributions to developing topnotch and accessible tech classrooms, while Pattie Schopp is honoured for her work to support students with exceptional academic and behavioural learning needs.
Markus Yanchus was the driving force and organizer of “Ten 4 Ten,” a campaign that raised close to $150,000 for brain tumour research.
Without exception, all recipients excelled in a number of areas of service.