SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Gerry LePrieur was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship - the Rotary Club of Yellowknife's most prestigious and significant award - last week at the Explorer Hotel.

He joins the ranks of past winners like Snowking Anthony Foliot, Rev. Gordon Bailey and Jan Stirling, as well as worldwide winners Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela and Kofi Annan.

To date, Rotary Clubs worldwide have handed out close to a million fellowships.

"Gerry's really positive, lots of fun and he likes to get things done," said past Rotary president John Argue, who has known LePrieur for more than 10 years.

To date, LePrieur has helped the Rotary Club raise more than $75,000 for community and international programs by acting as an auctioneer at the club's bike and art auctions.

"You'd be hard-pressed to find somebody who can attract an audience and generate the liveliness that an auction needs," said Austin Marshall, chair of the

Paul Harris Fellowship Committee.

"It's a real treat to be out there in the parking lot (at the auction) when he gets going."

LePrieur estimates that he has auctioned 1,000 bikes for Rotary in the past seven years. Two weeks ago, he helped Rotary sell 64 bikes and raise $7,000.

"He steps up, and when we ask him how much we owe him for his work, he says 'nothing,'" Argue said.

"It was a cold day, but we got probably the best net (gain) on bikes we've ever had."

LePrieur is also well-known in the community for his work with Northwest Territories Tourism, where he is currently executive director.

He said he's always happy to volunteer his time, and will continue to do so when he retires to High River, Alta., this July.

"If you have a talent or a service you can offer, you provide it and you feel good about it," he said.

LePrieur said he has been volunteering for 40 years. In addition to his work with Rotary, he has been a member of the Elks Lodge for 35 years and twice served as Exalted Ruler. He also serves on the NWT Habitat for Humanity steering committee.

The Paul Harris Fellowship was established in 1957 to honour Paul Harris, who founded the Rotary Club over 100 years ago.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.