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Honoured for active, healthy lifestyles Fort Simpson woman receives award from NWT Recreation and Parks Association
Jeanne Gagnon
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, October 3, 2013
THEBACHA/FORT SMITH
Three women have been honoured for their outstanding contributions to promoting active lifestyles in the NWT.
The NWT Recreation and Parks Association presented its annual awards on Sept. 25 in Fort Smith. The ceremony included Tim Van Dam, association board member, left, Hay River's Jill Taylor, Yellowknife's Amanda Grobbecker, Fort Simpson's Jacqueline Thompson, winner of the Scott McAdam Youth Leadership Award, and Geoff Ray, executive director. - photo courtesy of NWT Recreation and Parks Association
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Jacqueline Thompson of Fort Simpson, Jill Taylor of Hay River, and Amanda Grobbecker of Yellowknife are recipients of annual awards from the NWT Recreation and Parks Association, presented on Sept. 25 at its annual conference in Fort Smith.
Thompson received the Scott McAdam Youth Leadership Award.
She said she was surprised when she heard she was to receive the award, and it is even more special because the late Scott McAdam was a close family friend.
"It was definitely an honour to win an award named after him," she said, adding members of McAdam's family were on hand to make the presentation. "It was a really, really nice touch."
Thompson previously worked for five years as the Fort Simpson pool supervisor. For the past two years she has been offering aquatics programs to Deh Cho communities, including canoeing and water safety, for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs.
She is currently a student at the University of Alberta in a five-year program leading to a bachelor of education and bachelor of physical education.
About a decade ago, the now 22-year-old started to volunteer for a number of activities, including helping out with soccer tournaments.
"I've always been a kid who liked physical education and being a part of any sort of recreation, so I took any opportunity to volunteer and make it fun for other kids, as well," she said.
Grobbecker was presented with the Innovation Award, which recognizes a community, organization or individual for developing a new program, facility or approach to recreation and parks services.
She introduced Jump A Bunch to Yellowknife in 2012. It is a new form of aerobics where participants wear boots with springs.
Taylor received the Award of Excellence for founding Hay River's Lights On program, a community-driven, volunteer-led program that provides alternative activities for youth.
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