The Town of Halton Hills Honours its Volunteers!

On June 8th, The Town of Halton Hills Council honoured close to 300 volunteers at the Gellert Centre. The theme for the night was " you don't need a cape to change the world. " Below is my speech that I gave during the Volunteer Appreciation Night.

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On behalf of all members of council I welcome our heroes tonight.
Volunteers are the backbone of any community and here in Halton Hills we are fortunate to have some many wonderful people to share their lives with others in making our Town a better place. I was questioned just today that I dwell about the quality of Life here in Halton Hills and that it is exaggerated. Where else to do we see so many volunteers of all ages contributing to the well being of our community.

In Halton Hills we are blessed by the many contributions of our volunteers. Their dedication and gifts of time make a difference to the lives of residents and the quality of life we have come to enjoy and appreciate.

There are too many to name which is not surprising as there are over 10,000 residents who volunteer in our community.

Volunteers usually learn from their parents and grandparents to volunteer.

We have seen the important results of volunteer work in Halton Hills. Your work helps to create a stable and cohesive society by bringing people together for the common good. On a personal level volunteering creates bonds of trust, encourages cooperation, promotes good health and emotional wellbeing and most importantly it increases social harmony.

Halton Hills is a unique community of several neighbourhoods, each having a network of support and an identity of its own. This is our strength, our foundation, and the very fabric that makes Halton Hills a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family.

From the sports fields, to the hockey rinks, to the service clubs, hospitals, schools, churches and support groups, there will be many volunteers going the extra mile to make our community special. Many organizations and agencies would simply not exist without these volunteers.

It is not surprising that research has proven that one of the best things we can do to improve people’s lives, is to provide relevant opportunities to volunteer. Volunteering is a spirit that can be inherited and is a powerful gift that can be passed on to future generations. That’s a legacy of which we can be proud. I urge you to continue to build upon the wealth of our community through the good work of volunteering.

So thank you for coming out this evening and for the great work you do to create a wonderful caring community.

At this time I would like to acknowledge the many people and businesses that planned this evenings celebration;

Committee Members:

Councillor Bryan Lewis

Mary Ridley Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce

Gail Cartwright North Halton Distress & Info. Centre

Maureen Harris Halton Children's Health Services

Carol Nicolucci Halton Hurricanes & Halton Bulldogs

Carole Fuhrer Volunteer Halton

Laurent Thibault Halton Hills Cultural Roundtable

Leslie Salisbury Marketing Shoppe

Town Staff –Jessica Stovin, Leanne Sedentopf and Frank Prospero

• Thank you to Royal Bank of Canada and Georgetown Toyota for providing sponsorship for tonight’s event.


• I would also like to say a special thank you to Jessie Hall of Jessie Hall Design who was creator of this great theme this evening.


• We would also like to thank Georgetown Little Theatre's Youth Group and their volunteers that are in costume.


• This evening’s refreshments are compliments of over 12 local businesses that have contributed some wonderful refreshments for your enjoyment. Please join me and the members of Council in the Kinsmen Hall as we continue to celebrate our local volunteers.