The County of Stettler’s 2023 Community Service Awards were held at the Red Willow Community Hall on March 2.
A catered meal was provided for ticket holders before the festivities turned to the awards which honoured area residents from all corners of the county.
The first of 12 awards presented was the Stettler Dodge Community Service Award which was presented by Jo Hennel, of the Linda Hall Society, and Darren Benson, of Stettler Dodge, to Betty Lou Muhlbach.
Second up was the ATCO Culture, Arts and Heritage Award. The award was presented by Jerry Lee, of the Donalda and District Museum Association, and Mark Higgins, of ATCO, to Ray Kneeland, on behalf of winners Barb and Lorne Todd.
The third award presented was the Sullivan Lake West Ag. Society Community Service Award presented by Bronc Buchwitz and Sherry Marshall, who represented TD Bank. The winner of the award was Bobbi Buchwitz.
Next was the Donalda and District Ag. Society Community Service Award. The award was presented by Chris Hunter, from Scotiabank, Ron Borchuk, from the Donalda and District Ag. Society, Beth Fulton, from the Donalda and District Ag. Society, Kristie Vallet, the Village of Donalda chief administrative officer, and Brandi Page, from Scotiabank. The winner was Jennifer Wells.
The fifth award presented was the Big Valley Ag. Society Community Service Award. Chris Laisnez won the award while Dan Webster, with the Big Valley Ag. Society, and Charles Firth, from Royal Bank of Canada, presented.
Hitting the half-way mark was the Big Valley Ag. Society Youth Community Service Award. Marie Claire Clark was the winner, and the award was presented by Loralee Stefanik, of the Big Valley Ag. Society.
The Stettler and District Ag. Society Community Service Award was next. Jenna Watson, with the Stettler Ag. Society, presented the award to Monty and Dawn Gertner.
Rochon Sands got in on the action, sponsoring the Hall and Recreation Community Service Award. Lyndsay Delwo, Kelly Lang, Carrie Resch and Shawn Benson, all with the Rochon Sands Hall and Recreation Society presented the award to winners Carol Dyck and Colleen Carr.
The host community’s own agricultural society hosted a community service award as well. Janet Fletcher was presented the award by Jamie Comchi, from Stettler ATB, and Heather Fletcher, from Red Willow Ag. Society.
Botha, Erskine and Endmoor rounded out the last three awards.
The Botha School Youth Service Award was presented by Tamara Rutz and Kyilee Turre, both of the Botha Community Hall Society, Candace Hodder, the Botha principal, and Dwayne Grover of Vision Credit Union to Wyatt Elder.
Danny Riggins presented the Erskine Social Recreation Society Community Service Award to Cody Rowledge.
Finally, Doreen Nixon, with the Endmoor Culture and Recreation Society, presented the Endmoor Youth Service Award to Ryder Buchwitz.
The County of Stettler Community Service Awards are held early every year and the location is moved around the county to one of many local community halls.
