KODIAKS PRESENTED WITH PROVINCIAL COMMUNITY INCLUSION AWARD
November 24, 2008
By Brett Browne
The Camrose Kodiaks have been presented a prestigious provincial award for their efforts to promote inclusion of persons with developmental disabilities. The Kodiaks received the Community Contribution Award at the 2008 Norm McLeod Community Inclusion Awards in Edmonton.
The Kodiaks were nominated for the award, presented lastyear to Edmonton city council, by the Camrose Association for Community Living (CAFCL). “Each year we try to highlight somebody who helps the community a lot with people with disabilities and the Kodiaks have done that over so many years,” explains CAFCL fund development/ communications manager Lynne Jenkinson. “They really try to include people with disabilities in everything that they do.” Some of the things the Kodiaks do to support individuals with developmental disabilities
include:
* People with developmental disabilities attend the games for free. The Kodiaks recognize that when people live on limited
incomes, they may have financial hardship when it comes to participating in extracurricular activities.
* All Life Skills Workers assisting individuals with disabilities attend games for free.
* People with disabilities are a huge component of the Kodiaks’ volunteer contingent. They work as security, ushers, game day ticket takers, trainers’ assistants and photographers.
* The Kodiaks participate in fundraising events in numerous ways, either by donating items, acting as celebrity auctioneers
and/or lending their name to the cause.
“They really include people with developmental disabilities in every aspect of their organization,” states Jenkinson, who feels
the Kodiaks are deserving recipients for the high profile award. “This is probably the biggest award you can get for assisting
people in the community.”
The Kodiaks are also active in the community in many other ways including supporting cancer research, diabetes, the local DARE Program, School Reading program, Rotary, and many more. The Community Contribution Award is presented to “a community group or organization in Alberta that has made efforts to improve the quality of life for people with developmental disabilities and recognizes that they can fully participate in their community.
“The Norm McLeod Community Inclusion Awards are presented by Alberta Seniors and Community Supports to individuals and organizations that have been recognized for promoting the full participation of Albertans with developmental disabilities in their communities. “Albertans with developmental disabilities are important members of our communities, and these awards help honour Albertans who encourage and support the involvement of all individuals in their communities,” said the Honourable Mary Anne Jablonski, Minister of Seniors and Community Supports, responsible for the Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) program, which sponsors the awards.
