The Gravenhurst Opera House played host to the 2023 Community Awards.
The ceremony was held on Wednesday and a saw packed house at the Opera House. 12 individuals and one organization received the Community Spirit Award while Liam Brearley and the 1992/93 and 1993/94 Gravenhurst High School basketball team were named to the Lions Sports Hall of Fame.
Those who received a Community Spirit award for their volunteerism included:
- Yvette Anderson for the work she does with the Woodland Wildlife Sanctuary in Minden.
- Marion Purvis was a recipient for the work she does with Comfy Cases North Simcoe Muskoka Regional Chapter. She is one of many volunteers who sew bright, colourful pillowcases for sick children in the area.
- Debra O’Rourke was also a recipient for the work she does with Comfy Cases.
- Gary Mangos was a recipient for the work he does collecting empty bottles, which he returns for money, which he then donates to various animal welfare groups.
- Cyndi Tryon was nominated for volunteering whenever possible, including for the food bank, at the Santa Claus Parade, and other events around town.
- Kelly and Andy Warne, who co-own Rock Paper Scissors Co., were nominated for how they operate their business by putting the community first, notably including a scholarship to help students who want to be carpenters.
- Kathryn Barr McGill was a recipient for her avid volunteerism, notably for the work she does on social and with the Rotary Club of Gravenhurst’s Rotary Rocks the Barge project.
- Kaaren Brandt for her work with Comfy Cases. It was noted during the ceremony that the not-for-profit provides pillowcases to multiple organizations including the hospitals in Bracebridge and Huntsville. Since being established, they have sent over 900 pillowcases to various organizations.
- Snowcrest Riders Snowmobile Club were recipients, who were represented by Mark Kippen, Vice President, for the support they show to businesses in the winter and the work they do maintaining over 200 kilometres of trails in the area.
- Trudy Gower was nominated for the decade she has spent promoting the Muskoka Shoebox Project, which provides boxes full of holiday cheer and other items necessities for women.
- Mallory Silver only recently moved to Gravenhurst but received a nomination for her strong volunteer work ethic. She does work with the Gravenhurst Winter Carnival, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Muskoka, and the Gravenhurst Curling Club.
- Ralph “Bud” Leonard was a recipient for a life dedicated to volunteering. The 90-year-old joined the Lions Club in Mississauga in 1982 and later transferred to the Gravenhurst Lions when he moved to town in 2005. He also helps put up and take down the Canada flags placed throughout downtown Gravenhurst, is on the grill at almost every barbeque organized by the Lions, and spends many hours collecting donations for the food bank.
Meanwhile, Liam Brearley was inducted into the Lions Sports Hall of Fame. His award was accepted by his mother Janice since Brearley is in Finland training with the rest of Team Canada for the upcoming season.
“Gravenhurst is a pretty special place to grow up,” he said in a video played during the ceremony.
He made history in 2020 when he became the first Canadian to win 3 medals at the Youth Olympic Winter Games. Brearley’s trophy cabinet also includes two World Cup medals.
“Throughout the fall and winter months, I don’t spend much time at home but when I do come home I’m always happy to be amongst the friendly faces of my hometown,” he continued.
Brearley thanked everyone for supporting him and said he’s proud to represent Gravenhurst on the national stage.
The other induction to the Lions Hall of Fame was the Gravenhurst High School senior boys basketball team from 1992 to 1994. Many of the team members and coaches were at the ceremony and took part in a mini reunion on stage.
The team won 36 of its 40 games in the 1992/93 season and 44 of 48 the next year. They won the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations championship in 92/93 and were runners-up the next year. They also went undefeated both years amongst the other teams in the Muskoka-Parry Sound division.
While their athletic accomplishments make them more than worthy of induction, it was noted during the ceremony the team spent many hours fundraising for not-for-profits in the community, including the food bank.
Gord Durnan, Chair of the Community Awards Committee, hosted the event while Mayor Heidi Lorenz and Kathy Daoust joined recipients on stage to give them their awards.
