For Immediate Release
Festivals and Events PEI Presents the Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Awards
May 27, 2015
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – Festivals and Events PEI presented the Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Awards at the annual general meeting today in Charlottetown. In 2014, Festivals and Events PEI established a volunteer of the year award to recognize the contribution of a volunteer in the success of a festival or event. One volunteer will be chosen for each county from nominations put forth by festivals and events members.
“Without these volunteers our Festival & Event Sector would grind to a halt. Our events would not be able to function without their expertise, time and individual efforts needed to carry out the task of even the smallest event”, said Peter McCrady, President of Festivals & Events PEI “Tonight we are honoring a representative from each of our three counties with a plaque as a testament to their efforts in assisting in the continuous growth of our industry. Their effort along with the hundreds of like minded volunteers has resulted in the Festival & Events sector to become one of the key economic generators of Tourism to our province.”
This year’s recipients of the Festivals & Events PEI Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Awards are:
Prince County – LINDSAY ROGERS, Summerside Highland Gathering and Highland Storm
Queens County – TRACY JONES, PEI International Shellfish Festival
Kings County – MYRTLE JENKINS-SMITH, Cloggeroo – The Island Folk Festival
“Lindsay Rogers is one of our most dedicated volunteers. Whenever there is a task to be done, it is never too small or too large for him. He comes to The College at all times to help out” said Karen Hater, Executive Director College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada. “He takes 2-weeks of vacation each year to spend his time at The College of Piping for set up, event execution and tear down. He attends every rehearsal (10 days) and every show (24 performances). He is always the last person to leave each night. WOW and THANK YOU are the words that best describe Lindsay’s contribution to our events.”
“Tracy Jones is a Rock Star when it comes to hospitality, she has been doing hospitality for shellfish festival for the past 4 years” said Kelly Murphy, Operations Manager Versatile Management Group for PEI International Shellfish Festival. “Everyone on the events team has come to love her and our celebrity Chefs and entertainers sing her praises.”
“Myrtle Jenkins-Smith quickly became a key volunteer, and guided our board in its first festival, sharing her many years of experience. She took on the work of recruiting and coordinating all 75 volunteers for our festival” said Kathleen Flanagan, Chair of the Board of Directors for Cloggeroo – the Island Folk Festival. “She was on-site for the entire festival – from early morning until late at night. Myrtle was outstanding in her commitment to Cloggeroo – I’m not sure how we – a volunteer board with its first festival about to happen – would have survived.”
From Left to right: Myrtle Jenkins Smith, Kings County recipient, Peter McCrady, President Festivals & Events PEI, Tracy Jones, Queens County recipient, Lindsay Rogers, Prince County recipient.
Photo: Susan Topping