|
Features  News Desk News Briefs News Summaries Columnists Sports Editorial Arctic arts Readers comment Find a job Tenders Classifieds Subscriptions Market reports Northern mining Oil & Gas Handy Links Construction (PDF) Opportunities North Best of Bush Tourism guides Obituaries Feature Issues Advertising Contacts Archives Today's weather Leave a message
 |
|
Citizen of the Year
Paul Bickford Northern News Services Published Monday, February 23, 2009
John Ashcroft, a shop instructor at Diamond Jenness secondary school (DJSS), was named winner of the Alfred Mansell Citizen of the Year Award during the Hay River Chamber of Commerce annual gala on Feb. 20. Tim Borchuk, an instructor at DJSS, told the gala that Ashcroft gives unselfishly of his talents, time and energies to help out, but has never sought the spotlight. "Yet he is one of the busiest volunteers in Hay River, and not many events take place in this town that he is not behind the scenes, very active and an important member of the volunteer squad," said Borchuk, who was one of a number of people who nominated Ashcroft for the award. The Citizen of the Year was praised for many of his volunteer efforts, including offering invaluable help to the NWT Outdoor Soccer Championships and the NWT Track and Field Championships, as range officer for the Hay River biathlon group, as a member of the Elks, and many more activities. Ashcroft, 55, was unable to accept the award in person because of illness. His son and daughter - Brandon Ashcroft and Sunny Ashcroft - accepted the award on his behalf and were greeted with a standing ovation. They read a message from their father in which he said the award means a lot to him and is greatly appreciated. "Hay River is my community, and I like seeing the town come together to put on a track meet or a fall fair," he wrote. "I enjoy being a part of these events when they take place." Ashcroft, a native of Manitoba who has lived in Hay River for 29 years, also saluted the other volunteers in the community. The Citizen of the Year said the youth of Hay River has been his focus and he has enjoyed seeing various sporting events grow and flourish. "Youth need role models - whether it's coming from their own peer group or from older people," he wrote. "I think a positive example can be given by being an active member of the community."
| |||||||||||
