February 26, 2007

SaskEnergy Recognizes Youth Volunteers

Twenty schools and youth groups were recognized for their volunteer spirit as SaskEnergy presented its 2007 Global Youth Service Day Awards (GYSD). SaskEnergy has proudly partnered with Volunteer Canada to promote Global Youth Service Day initiatives around the province. These awards recognize schools and organizations that take part in volunteer activities designed to protect their environment or better their communities.

“The Global Youth Service Day awards recognize youth in this province who are realizing the benefits of volunteering,” said Doug Kelln, President and CEO of SaskEnergy. “Their dedication is a fine example of what our young people can accomplish when they come together and work towards a common goal.”

SaskEnergy is committed to ensuring that volunteers will continue to be part of the Saskatchewan landscape through GYSD Awards. Since piloting this program in 2004, SaskEnergy has distributed 65 awards to deserving schools and organizations. To promote Global Youth Service Day 2007, SaskEnergy presented 21 awards in three categories to young people aged 18 and under.

    • SaskEnergy Volunteer Leadership Award: for groups showing outstanding leadership by volunteering time and effort in their community on an ongoing basis. The Award was presented to Estevan Comprehensive School.

    • SaskEnergy Youth Enviro-Action Awards: for groups embarking on an environmental project. Awards were presented to schools and youth organizations in Eastend, Martensville, Saskatoon, Regina, Sedley, Invermay, Swift Current, Lumsden, and Hafford.”

    • SaskEnergy Share the Warmth™ Community Spirit Awards: for groups creating projects that engage their communities. Awards were presented to schools and organizations in Outlook, Vonda, Macklin, Rosthern, Regina, and Kindersley.

To find out more information about the program, visit: www.gysd.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Jennifer Wasyliw    
Community Involvement Assistant    
SaskEnergy    
Phone: (306) 777-9763 or (306) 535-6368    
     

Global Youth Service Day - Background
Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) is the largest youth-led volunteering event in the world with over 150 countries and 34 international organizations taking part. 2007 marks the eighth year of GYSD. Millions of young people will participate in service projects to address their communities’ development needs. Last year in Saskatchewan, youth registered an outstanding 16,415 volunteer hours with Volunteer Canada for Global Youth Service Day.

In Canada, the organization that spearheads Global Youth Service Day is Volunteer Canada. This organization also endorses SaskEnergy’s Global Youth Service Day Awards and recognizes that a significant portion of volunteerism happens in small communities. Volunteer Canada’s goal is to effect change by encouraging all Canadians to volunteer. Their measure of success is the effective and transformative involvement of volunteers in every aspect of Canadian life.

Cash awards provided by SaskEnergy acknowledge outstanding efforts of these many young people and help to provide much needed seed funding to help get a project off the ground or continue into another year.

SaskEnergy Volunteer Leadership Award

$1000 Award
 • Estevan Comprehensive School- S.H.O.U.T.S.- Estevan

SaskEnergy Share the Warmth™ Community Spirit Awards

$500 Awards
• L.C.B.I. High School- Take-Out Tuesdays – Outlook
• Ιcole Providence – Charity of the Month – Vonda
• Macklin St. Joseph’s Candy Stripers – Get Moving With Music – Macklin
• Macklin School – Golden Pals/ Senior Buddies – Macklin
• Macklin School – Golden Pals/ Senior Buddies – Macklin
• Rosthern High School – Terry Fox Run & Community Clean Up – Rosthern
• Dr. Martin LeBoldus – Best Buddies – Regina
• McDermid Community School – Student Leadership Conference – Regina
• Campbell Collegiate – Peace Pole Project – Regina
• Westberry School – Community Involvement Project – Kindersley
• Girl Guides Sparks & Brownies Unit #49 – Rural Senior’s Extendicare Joy Project - Regina

SaskEnergy Youth Enviro-Action Awards

$500 Awards
• Eastend School – Recycling Project – Eastend
• 1st Martensville Guide Unit- ThINK food/ Phones for food – Martensville
• Girl Guides 28th Unit – Recycling Project – Saskatoon
• St. Jerome School – School Beautification – Regina
• Sedley School – Definitely In Our Back Yard – Sedley
• Invermay School – School Beautification Project – Invermay
• Sedley High School – Recycle Pick Up Program – Sedley
• St. Joseph Middle School – Creek Clean Up – Swift Current
• Lumsden Elementary – Green Our School Grounds – Lumsden
• Hafford Central School – Water Monitoring Project – Hafford