Shuswap Scoop 1st Annual Volunteer Awards!
By Jo Boxwell
We are delighted to be celebrating our 10th anniversary in this issue of the South Shuswap Scoop. For the past decade, the Scoop has been publishing articles from non-profit organizations doing incredible work in this region, so for our milestone year, we wanted to acknowledge some of the people and organizations who make our publication, and our communities, so special.
We are thrilled to announce that we are celebrating the South Shuswap and the spirit of volunteerism with the 1st Annual South Shuswap Scoop Volunteer Awards.
Awards Categories & Sponsors
For our inaugural awards program, there are four categories: three awards for individual volunteers and one award for a volunteer-powered non-profit organization.
The Volunteer of the Year Award, sponsored by Salmon Arm Savings & Credit Union (SASCU), will go to an individual who has made a significant impact through volunteer work in the South Shuswap in 2025.
The Volunteer Lifetime Impact Award, sponsored by Shuswap Lake Estates, is for a dedicated volunteer who has been making a difference locally for 10+ years.
The Outstanding Volunteer First Responder Award, sponsored by Village Grocer, recognizes the amazing people who are there for us in a crisis, including volunteer firefighters and emergency first responders. This award will go to a local first responder for their efforts in the South Shuswap in 2025.
And finally, to recognize the importance of some of our incredible local organizations, the Non-Profit Community Impact Award, sponsored by Shuswap Marina will be presented to a South Shuswap-based non-profit or charity for their efforts in 2025. Volunteers must be involved in the organization at both leadership and operational levels (organizations with some paid staff members remain eligible).
Nominations are Open Now - Until May 22, 2026.
The nomination process is simple and takes just a few minutes to complete. You are welcome to self-nominate, and you can nominate the same person in multiple categories. If you are nominating more than one person, please complete a separate form for each nominee.
Nominees must be 19+ and full-time or seasonal residents of CSRD Electoral Areas C or G (or were resident during the period they volunteered). Nominees must volunteer with a non-profit that was engaged in projects in Electoral Areas C or G in 2025 (or earlier for the Lifetime Impact Award).
The South Shuswap includes the communities of Tappen, Sunnybrae, White Lake, Eagle Bay, Notch Hill, Blind Bay, Sorrento and surrounding areas. If you are unfamiliar with the boundaries for Electoral Areas C and G, visit https://www.csrd.bc.ca/266/Areas.
Our team will reach out to the nominees and ask them to confirm their eligibility and participation in the awards program before proceeding to the voting round
When to Cast Your Vote
Once we have established a list of eligible nominees in each category, we will share the information in the June issue of the South Shuswap Scoop and online on June 12. Voting will be open from June 12 to July 3. A voting form will be available via the Scoop website.
Winners
We will identify one winner and two finalists in each category based on the highest number of votes received. Winners will be announced on July 17 on our website and in the July issue of the Scoop.
Thanks to the generosity of our amazing awards sponsors, SASCU, Shuswap Lake Estates, Shuswap Marina and Village Grocer, we will award a prize to the winner in each category. Additionally, the South Shuswap Scoop will provide the winning organization for the Non-Profit Community Impact Award with free advertising space in an upcoming print issue of the South Shuswap Scoop.
For more information, including a full list of rules and regulations, visit our website shuswapscoop.ca/volunteer-awards
