PROUDLY ANNOUNCING THE 2026 WINNERS OF THE
A huge thank you to everyone who voted and submitted nominations
for our inaugural awards program.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!
Congratulations to Trudy Vercholuk, recipient of the Volunteer of the Year Award, in recognition of her outstanding dedication, selfless service, and positive impact on the South Shuswap community.
(Photo: Celia Dyer)
Trudy brings strong leadership and energy to everything she does, king her a truly valuable volunteer.
She is the driving force behind the One to One Children’s Reading Program at Sorrento Elementary School. She fully believes in education as the keystone to a fulfilling life and that reading can unlock countless new learning adventures. Under her direction, the team of 20 volunteer readers at Sorrento Elementary has become one of the largest and most active in K̓wsaltktnéws ne Secwepemcúl’ecw School District 83.
Another organization that has flourished because of Trudy’s involvement is the Friends of the Library. The group’s essential role is to raise money for the South Shuswap and Salmon Arm branches of the Okanagan Regional Library. Membership has quadrupled since Trudy took the helm and she coordinates three book sales each year. The latest sale raised $3,000 and the money goes towards various library activities such as children’s reading programs, equipment, and authors’ visits.
Trudy joined the Board of the Sorrento and Area Community Health Centre in June 2024. She quickly assumed a leadership role as Vice President and was elected President in January 2025. Since then, she has led a comprehensive review of the clinic’s operations and policies, overseen a refurbishment of the facility and continues to strengthen the partnership between Interior Health, which provides the centre’s Nurse Practitioners, and the nonprofit Society that operates the clinic and employs the office staff.
Trudy’s involvement in causes that support education and health demonstrate her commitment towards a strong and vibrant community. When asked how she feels about being chosen as Volunteer of the Year, she says that she is honoured but humbled given the caliber of other nominees.
She stresses the importance of the people she works with: “I don’t do anything alone. I work alongside volunteers doing important work. I might coordinate and lead because that is my skillset, but none of it gets done without the dedication and hard work of a team.”
She lights up when she talks about how this award could raise awareness of the organizations she is involved in. Moreover, she hopes it will inspire others to discover causes they are passionate about and encourage them to participate in serving their community.
When not volunteering, Trudy’s favourite activity is reading and she enjoys knitting, cross-stitching, gardening and dance rebounder exercise. She and her husband Sam enjoy the beauty of the Shuswap either from their boat or on the back of their Harley.
An active life indeed!
Volunteer of the Year Awards
Trudy Vercholuk
Congratulations to Barry Stokes on his well-deserved volunteer award! (Photo: Celia Dyer)
Volunteerism is a family affair in the Stokes household. Margaret’s husband Barry has been involved in various community volunteer activities in Sorrento for the past 35 years. Definitely a lifetime of impact!
His leadership was greatly valued across several organizations, including the Sorrento and District Chamber of Commerce, the Sorrento Business Improvement Association, the Sorrento and Area Community Association, and the Sorrento and Area Community Health Centre. He has advocated for Sorrento on various CSRD committees such as the Economic Development and Tourism committees. Barry also spent countless hours coaching minor hockey and softball.
Barry says he was “quite surprised but truly honoured to receive this award.”
People who have worked with Barry describe him as a calm, effective and inclusive leader. He is well regarded for his in-depth knowledge and his willingness to consider others’ opinions. Former Health Centre board member Allan Hanson says: “I have always found Barry to really understand important matters and he has a personality that encourages belonging. He is a strong leader.”
The results of his contributions are visible in many areas: improved lighting, safer pedestrian walkways along the highway, a medical clinic, among many others.
Barry is quick to highlight that he has always collaborated with others to effect positive change for Sorrento. When asked why he does it, he says: “The reason I volunteer is because I want to try and make Sorrento a better place”.
Barry’s deep commitment to his community is obvious. For him, highlights from his lengthy volunteer career include the Sorrento 100 celebrations in 2012 and the establishment of the Sorrento and Area Community Health Centre.
While the centenary celebrations were a fun-filled series of events looking back on 100 years of history, the Health Centre was a forward-looking achievement that secured primary medical care for our residents.
When Sorrento was left without a doctor in 2012, a group of local citizens organized, lobbied and worked tirelessly to recruit a primary care practitioner. Fourteen years later, the Sorrento and Area Community Health Centre Society operates a thriving medical clinic with two full-time Nurse Practitioner positions. Barry was an integral part of that group from the beginning, serving as a Director, Vice President and President until he stepped down in 2025.
Though he has “retired” from volunteer work, Barry remains busy. He plays bass in the musical group “Island Fogg”, loves to keep his ’66 Beaumont in tiptop shape and enjoys pickleball and hockey.
He thinks Sorrento is “pretty well-serviced for a small community” as he lists off all the available amenities. He and Margaret chose Sorrento in part because of those services and where there were gaps; they worked to fill them in.
It is a legacy they can both be proud of.
Volunteer Lifetime Impact Award
Barry Stokes
Congratulations to Margaret Stokes on her well-deserved volunteer award!
(Photo: Celia Dyer)
Margaret embodies the traits of an ideal first responder: she is calm, yet action-oriented. For over 20 years, the South Shuswap First Responders (SSFR) have relied on her exceptional dedication.
The mandate of the SSFR is to provide emergency medical care to residents of CSRD Areas C and G before ambulances arrive. They are often on scene before paramedics as many of the communities they serve are more than 15 minutes away from a hospital.
Margaret’s career as as medical lab technologist led to a lifelong interest in the medical field. When the opportunity arose to join the local First Responders group, she signed up enthusiastically. She spent 15 years as an active responder and has served for the past six years as a dispatcher. She also serves on the group’s Board of Directors. She is one of the most highly respected and longest-serving volunteers of the SSFR.
“Being a First Responder allows me to contribute in an area that really interests me. Other volunteer activities can involve lots of meetings which are not my cup of tea. As a first responder, to go out and actually do something, I’m all over that.”
Margaret has seen many changes over the past 20+ years. “I remember doing a lot of fundraising, like selling glow-sticks at different events. Now, we have funding through a tax requisition from the CSRD.” While the group continues to raise awareness and fundraise through community happenings, having a reliable income allows them to focus primarily on delivering their essential service.
Often, donations are received from grateful people who have benefitted from the SSFR’s support. Anyone who has witnessed the extraordinary service this group provides can appreciate how fortunate we are to have them in times of unexpected need.
Margaret is well-regarded for her calm presence, her caring heart, her reliability and selfless dedication which serve as an inspiration to her team and have made a lasting impact on our community.
She is grateful to receive the First Responder Award and hopes that these awards will help make people aware of the diverse volunteer opportunities available in our community.
Her inspiration to volunteer is rooted in her commitment to community: “So much of the richness of living in a smaller town comes from people being able to participate in volunteer activities. We depend on each other.”
Outstanding Volunteer First Responder Award
Margaret Stokes
Melanie Boyko accepted the award on behalf of the organization, SSFR, recognized for more than 25 years of providing emergency medical assistance to the community. (Photo: Celia Dyer)
Non-Profit Community Impact Award
South Shuswap First Responders President Melanie Boyko expressed immediate delight upon learning her group won the Non-Profit Community Impact Award: “We are thrilled to receive this honour, “It recognizes that volunteerism is alive and well in our community. I’m so proud to be part of such a meaningful and important organization.”
The South Shuswap First Responders (SSFR) have been providing emergency medical aid in our community for over 25 years; responding in areas where ambulance service is not immediately available. They cover an area from Tappen to Squilax and all points in-between. Responders are trained in emergency care and are able to provide lifesaving intervention before an ambulance arrives.
Everything about this organization is vital and relies entirely on volunteers. Their unwavering commitment has sustained and improved this essential service over many years.
They now have in-house training officers which allows them to add to their responder roster without relying on an outside agency for instruction. They have secured funding through the CSRD. They are raising community awareness by providing first aid at local events such as Music in the Bay. They are engaging in a successful membership drive that has added 30 new members in the past two months. “In return for a five dollar membership, you get a quarterly newsletter and a free trip to the AGM”, quips Melanie. Of course, contributing to this valuable group is priceless. It’s as easy as emailing ssfr@shaw.ca!
They have also added more post-incident care for their responders. Beyond partnering with the Shuswap Fire Department’s Critical Incident Stress Management program, a new initiative called “Mental Health Moments” is being offered by counsellor Ella LaFleur who attends regular practices when needed.
Despite recent successes, growth of the organization is a priority for Melanie. The number of responders in the South Shuswap stands at 16 but she points out that our population could use almost twice as many. Fundraising remains necessary even with the support from the CSRD.
What they don’t lack is energy and dedication. “The team we have touches my heart every day”, says Melanie. “All of our responders have a passion and a reason for why they do this. It’s important to recognize their talents and lift people up so we can move forward.”
When asked what her wish would be for the SSFR, she considers carefully before answering. “The organization could use many things but the community needs more responders.”
If you would like to support or participate in the vital work of the South Shuswap First Responders, you can contact them at ssfr@shaw.ca
South Shuswap First Responders
