Page 22 - Brandon Sun - 2018 Community Leader Awards

22 • COMMUNITY LEADER AWARDS 2018 THE BRANDON SUN • THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2018

» SERVICE ORGANIZATION VOLUNTEER AWARD, SPONSORED BY WESTOBA CREDIT UNION

George Haggerty is nominated for a Community Leader Award in the Service Organization Volunteer category. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)
Haggerty a devoted mentor to local Cadets

BY DIANE NELSON Certificate for years of dedicated service, Lifetime Membership, He’s volunteered for the Brandon & District United Way, as
Certificates of Appreciation from Vice-Admiral Chief of the a sandbagger for the 2011 Flood of the Century, and for Hillcrest
Born and raised in Brandon, George Haggerty has dedicated Maritime Staff, and the Detachment Commander’s Outstanding Place Personal Care Home. Haggerty was active on the City of
much of his life to Brandon’s Royal Canadian Sea Cadets and Achievement Award and Certificate of Service. He is proud of Brandon’s Veterans’ Memorial Committee and Wall of
Navy League Cadets, as well as the Navy League of Canada his CIC Lifetime Achievement through the Department of Remembrance, has helped out with the 26 Field Regiment RCA
Brandon Branch. National Defence. XII Manitoba Dragoons Museum since 2012, and has been the
His list of accomplishments is vast and impressive, as is his But was working with the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets, the organizer of the Battle of Atlantic Parade Brandon since 2013.
selfless dedication to the many causes with which he has been Navy League Cadets and the Navy League of Canada all he When he’s not doing those things, he canvasses for the
involved and championed. did? Not by a long shot! References Debbie McArthur of the Canadian Cancer Society and Diabetes Canada. And when
A Navy League Cadet from age 11 to 13, Haggerty became Cadets and Sharon Fisher of the Canadian Cancer Society call downtown Brandon suffered its devastating fire on May 19th,
a Sea Cadet until he was 18. He then volunteered to work with Haggerty “a perfect example of volunteerism!” Haggerty heard there was a need for people to help sort clothing
the Navy League Corps as a cadet officer. Haggerty also worked Consistent and reliable, they say, his “can do” attitude has for the displaced residents of Massey Manor. So he stepped up
with the Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps Swiftsure as an officer helped several entities successfully complete many projects. to help do that as well. So why all the effort? Why not sit back
in the mid-1970s. “George is a team player and a valuable member of the many and enjoy retirement?
He’s held many positions within Cadets, including organizations who are lucky enough to have him as a volunteer,” “I think I like to be busy,” Haggerty said. “And I think there’s
Commanding Officer. While he and his ilk were referred to as Fisher and McArthur said. “Many of the people who have a community need. There’s always a need for people to step up
Cadet Instructor Cadre, in the mid-1990s they became Naval worked with him in these various organizations consider him and help out.”
Reserves and part of the Department of National Defence. In to be a mentor. His whole life has been dedicated to youth and His aim is always “to make everybody’s life a little better.”
the late 1990s he became the Cadet Harassment and Abuse ensuring our society creates compassionate and responsible And he says he receives as much from volunteering as he gives.
Prevention Officer and took the certification course to teach citizens. Many compliments have been made to the Sea Cadet “Oh – I get so much back!” he said. “Kenny Vanderhooft (his
abuse and harassment prevention to cadets. Corps for this.” Little Brother) did as much for me as I did for him. It was a
In 2010, Haggerty “aged out” from being in uniform, and Haggerty was also a Big Brother in 1972 and is still in touch good match.”
retired from the Naval Reserves as a Lieutenant (N) that same with his Little Brother Ken Vanderhooft. He was a media It appears to be Haggerty’s nature to give and to lend a hand
year. statistician in the 1980s for the City of Brandon’s International when it’s necessary. And he’s self-effacing, too.
At the same time, Haggerty wore many hats with the Navy Hockey Tournament of Champions. He was a member, then “I think there’s a lot of people out there who do a lot of good,”
League of Canada Brandon Branch, including those of Co-Chair, of the Friends of HMCS Brandon Committee from Haggerty said. “It’s humbling to be acknowledged this way. For
President and Vice President. He’s received many accolades 1999 to 2017, as well as a member, then Chair, of Brandon me to be nominated for an award like this is overwhelming —
and honours from the Navy League of Canada: an Honour Salutes. it’s quite a privilege.”

Rotarian spending her retirement doing ‘rewarding’ volunteer work

BY MELISSA VERGE

Dayle Hughson was in her car delivering flowers for Mother’s
Day — one of the many projects this Sunset Rotary Club
member is a part of — when she got the call that she’d been
nominated for a Community Leader Award.
“It’s a great honour, I think that its nice to have volunteerism
recognized,” she said, adding that just getting the phone call
was exciting.
Delivering flowers for Mother’s
Day is one of the many projects that
Hughson has volunteered to help out
with in the community.
She’s lived in Brandon for 15 years,
and she estimates that she spends
about 20 hours on average per week
participating in various volunteer
positions.
She’s the director of the provincial exhibition as well as co-
chair of the summer fair. She’s also a member of the Sunset
Rotary Club, which does a lot of volunteer work around the
community, including the highly popular new event, Ribfest,
and providing guest services at the summer and winter fairs.
She’s also involved with Child and Family Services of Westman,
and she works with the Interprovincial Association for Native
Employment.
It’s a lot of commitments, but Hughson said working full-
time before she retired was good practice for the amount of
time she spends volunteering. For 32 years she worked for a
private company that was involved with employing individuals
with handicaps and disabilities, something that she has continued
to stay involved with through volunteer work.
“I’m kind of used to scheduling things and being able to do
two or three things at once, women can multitask,” Hughson
said.
At 71-years-old she’s been retired since 2012, and volunteering
is a very important part of her life now.
“It keeps you from getting bored and old it keeps me young
because I’m working with the young people,” Hughson said.
She recalls one memorable moment she had as a volunteer Dayle Hughson is involved with many different things in the Brandon community, including the Sunset Rotary Club. Here, Hughson
with the Rotary Club at the Brandon Correctional Centre. The delivers free Pete the Cat books to children in Marla Medwid's grade one class at Riverview School. (Tim Smith/Brandon Sun)
club donates books to the program, and inmates who have
children take the books and read them onto a recorded CD. It helps that her commitments are spaced out a little bit, and she said that other people, who maybe have yet to give it a try,
They then send the book and CD to the inmate’s child, who that some don’t require as much work as others so that Hughson would really enjoy doing.
can then hear their parent reading stories to them. is able to juggle them all. “It’s very interesting and rewarding work, I’m sure that
“Somebody told me that the mother was reading to her “Some just entitle a meeting once a month, so that’s not too anybody that wanted to get involved with any organization as
daughter, and when they brought the little one to visit she much,” she said. a volunteer would really find it very interesting,” she said.
recognized her mothers voice from the tape,” Hughson said. Despite all the volunteer work she does in the community
“She hadn’t seen her mother since she was very tiny, so that with various organizations, Hughson doesn’t think she does » mverge@brandonsun.com
was really rewarding.” anymore than the average person. Volunteering is something » Twitter: @Melverge5