It was already an accomplishment when the four local women were successfully nominated for the 2017 Red Deer and District Community Foundation's Women of Excellence awards back in April. But the women of Olds did us one better ñ they all won.
Of the central Albertans recognized in 11 categories during last week's gala at the Red Deer Sheraton (June 7), four names called to the stage were from Olds: Tracy Gardner in Agriculture; Dot Negropontes in Education; Kathy Kemmere in Health and Wellness; and Nicola Cook in Environment.
"Four home runs!î said Deputy Mayor Debbie Bennett. ìI am so excited for our community and the women are more than excellent.î
Bennett said the awards are special because they focus on central Albertans.
ìWe are celebrating women who aren't from large cities, necessarily, and they do wonderful work to make our community what it is,î she said. ìThey are kind, compassionate and loving, (it) makes all our hearts proud tonight.î
ìI feel great, to be totally honest,î said Kathy Kemmere, who was instrumental in bringing hospice care to the community. ìIt dawned on me ñ we don't really get thanked very often. It's such an honour to have what we do appreciated. And that was what hit me tonight ñ that you really are making a difference.î
Tracy Gardner, events manager for the Olds Regional Exhibition who was nominated for her work on a youth agriculture program called Summer Synergy, said she was totally surprised.
ìAnd it's completely awesome, and it's so humbling,î said Gardner, who was the first nominee of the evening to be called up to the stage.
She said the challenge now will be to keep the bar raised.
ìI think (we) just keep doing what we're doing,î she said. ìWe're doing some cool stuff in our communities and it's pretty fun, and I am so fortunate and privileged to be a part of it.î
For all the celebration and conviviality of the gala, a streak of sadness underpinned the evening for the Olds delegates.
Dot Negropontes, who was recognized for her work in bringing the Community Learning Campus to life, passed away on May 25, and instead her son John, and husband Ted, accepted the award on her behalf.
ìI know that mom stood behind and supported a lot of people through various projects and initiatives that she's been a part of over the years, and never really sought out recognitionî said John Negropontes, ìso it's really nice that her friends and people in town put her up for the award, and that she won.î
"I don't want to double it up,î said Ted Negropontes, echoing his son's remarks, and left it with simple sentiment.
ìShe was an amazing person.î
Rita Thompson, chair of the Community and Lifestyles Committee, which organized the nominations, was almost speechless.
ìWell, it's wonderful, what can we say, right?î she said. ìIt's incredible really. We have three bright stars, and they swept.î
It turns out, however, that Olds has four bright stars. In addition to the three names put forward by the Olds Institute, Nikki Cook, a land sciences instructor at Olds College was nominated by the dean of her department, Barb Mulholland, and was recognized for her work in cleaning up contaminated soil, inspiring students to be environment stewards, and working with industry to develop more sustainable practices.
ìI am so honoured, it's really amazing,î said Cook, who said the award might bring some focus to the work that she does.
ìMaybe more people will know about me out there, and maybe I (will) get invited to more community-oriented cleanup events, or things like that.î
ìI think it's a testament to the spirit of the community,î said John Negropontes about the winning foursome. ìI think it's something that sets us apart from other places in Alberta and in the world, that there is a really forward-thinking spirit in Olds, that pushes forward innovation and looks for how things can be done differently in a rural context.î
ìIt's just thing after thing after thing, in Olds that you don't get in other places,î he said.
The fact that four people from Olds in a pool of 11 were recognized is a pretty big thing, he said.
