News Release: Town of Paradise Celebrates Contributions of Community Groups and Individuals During Volunteer Appreciation Week

 

April 12, 2016 – Paradise, NL: The Town of Paradise is pleased to announce the recipients of the 26th Annual Municipal Awards, which were presented this evening at the Paradise Double Ice Complex. The awards were presented as part of Volunteer Appreciation Week, which runs from April 10 to April 16, 2016.

 

“We are so fortunate to have such an involved group of individuals living within the Town of Paradise who give so freely of their time and talents,” said Mayor Dan Bobbett. “The commitment and dedication of all nominees is certainly something to be commended and celebrated, and that’s exactly why we host this annual celebration.”

 

The Municipal Awards recognize the valuable community contributions of individuals and groups within the Town of Paradise. Nominations were open to all residents and groups within the Town with a total of eight winners in the categories of Junior Male Athlete of the Year, Junior Female Athlete of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Youth of the Year, Volunteer Group of the Year, Coach of the Year, Female Athlete of the Year, Male Athlete of the Year.

 

Awards were presented to the following individuals in the following categories:

 

James Thorne competes locally, provincially, nationally and now internationally in the sport of karate. In 2015 James won a bronze medal at the US Open Karate Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada; a silver medal in both the Kumite and Kata categories at the Tsuruoka Nationals in Moncton, New Brunswick; and two additional silver medals in Kumite and Team Kata at the Atlantics in PEI. James has also received numerous gold, silver and bronze medals in various Karate Newfoundland regional local tournaments. Karate is not James’ only sport, he also had a unanimous win in his first amateur boxing match and recently ran the Resolution Run, finishing in the top 10.

 

Bethany Hynes is a talented young athlete who excels in many sports including soccer and hockey. Bethany has consistently played on provincial soccer teams for her age group and last summer was captain of the provincial team which won gold in PEI. Bethany is currently playing on the U15 NLSA Soccer Team and joined the Canada Games Pool in February 2016. Bethany has also played on the Girls Bantom AAA Hockey Team winning gold in the provincial and Atlantic tournaments. This season she played on the Girls Bantam AAA Hockey Team as Assistant Captain. At the high school level, Bethany helps her school soccer team compete as provincial champions and was a part of the girl’s hockey team which won the Annie Parson’s Shield and the Regional 4A Championship. She is also a member of the indoor soccer and ball hockey teams.  Although Bethany is quite busy with her sports she has maintained a high academic average in Grade 9 this year.

 

Todd Ralph is a long-standing resident of the Town of Paradise and he is deeply committed to his volunteering activities. Since 2011, he has been active on the executive of the Paradise Running Club, which includes two years that he served as President. Todd has been integral in planning, organizing, and coordinating the Club’s annual New Year's Eve Fun Run which raises funds for the CBS/ Paradise Community Food Bank, as well as the 2015 Snow & Ice 5K Fun Run that raised funds for the Canadian Tire Jump Start Program. In addition to the Running Club, Todd has spent hundreds of hours volunteering his time to a number of other groups and initiatives including Holy Innocents Church, the Curby Clean-up Day, the Santa Claus Parade, the Paradise Terry Fox run, the Tely 10 road race, the Santa Shuffle, and the  Downtown Outreach Coalition/ Coffee Matters Christmas Gift Bag Prep. Todd is passionate about his volunteering activities and always shows up with a smile and a helping hand.

 

Levi Moulton is a Grade 10 student at Holy Spirit High School.  He excels academically, athletically, and through volunteerism. Levi holds a high academic average while staying involved in many other activities, interests and commitments. On the athletic side, he plays on three basketball teams and two hockey teams, and runs track and field and cross-country, having competed and placing in regional and national meets. Levi’s volunteer activities focus on the Special Olympics where he is a training coach, helping athletes prepare for national competitions, a commitment which requires three to five sessions a week with the Special Olympians. Despite his already busy schedule, Levi has completed the Bronze level for the Duke of Edinburg Award and is currently working with the Tutoring for Tuition program at his school.

 

The Paradise Running Club was formed in 2010 with the key goals of getting Paradise residents physically active, promoting the sport of running and the local road race scene, and conducting community outreach through volunteering and supporting charitable causes. Since 2010, the club has grown to become one of the largest running clubs in the province with over 180 members in 2015. As a well-known and highly respected running club, the Paradise Running Club organizes Learn-To-Run programs each year, encouraging those new to the sport to get involved.  In addition, the club organizes training plans for all types of running goals from 5k to marathon, and has helped numerous people conquer the Tely 10. Its members participate in road races and community events in locations throughout the province, across Canada and the US and even some in European locations. The group has positively impacted the community in which it operates by helping Paradise residents lead active, healthy lifestyles and by contributing countless volunteer hours to the community.

 

Long-time Paradise resident Darrin Fitzpatrick is a dedicated father, husband and hockey coach. He has been involved in the sporting community in the Town for many years as a player, coach, manager, fundraiser, and volunteer.  This year he was Head Coach of the Atom Major Minor Hockey Team; Head Coach of the Atom All-Star "C" Minor Hockey Team (a team that was ranked higher than any other "C" team in the provincial tournament); Head Coach of the Peewee IHL Minor Hockey Team for first-time hockey players (a team which ended the season out-scoring and out defending against a team with far better individual stats); Defensive Coach of the Peewee All-Star "D" Minor Hockey Team which has gone undefeated; and Coach of the IP Minor Hockey Team. When not coaching hockey teams, Darrin attends coaching clinics to further develop his skills. He also finds time to volunteer as a referee when needed. Darrin’s dedication to all his teams and players is unwavering and is rooted in a belief that the most important aspect of playing hockey is to have fun.

 

Janice Henstridge is a wife, mother, community employment facilitator, and athlete who overcame significant personal health challenges in 2015. One of her coping mechanisms through the past few years has been running, both as an athlete and as a volunteer with the Paradise Running Club. Janice spends many hours training, often running 50 to 60 kilometres per week to train for the competitive running season. In 2015, she successfully completed several noteworthy local long-distance road races including the Tely Ten Road Race, the Huffin Puffin Marathon, and the grueling Cape to Cabot, completing each race with a personal best time. Janice is a wonderful inspiration to many in the running community, leads the Paradise Running Club and is described as the embodiment of the meaning of an athlete – dedication to her sport, motivation to succeed, sportsmanship, and achievement.  (Janice was also Female Athlete of the Year in 2015.)

 

In the Fall of 2014, varsity wrestler Erik Joy, suffered a partial tear in his ACL and was unable to train and compete. After months of physiotherapy and perseverance, he was able to regain his training regimen and return to competition. In his first post-injury tournament he competed at the international senior level facing two national champions and a world bronze medalist. A month later, Erik won gold at the International Ontario Cup for his weight class, defeating two national bronze medalists and a representative from the USA. He continued on for the remainder of 2015 to have a successful competitive season, winning and placing in numerous provincial, national and international tournaments. In addition to a rigorous varsity athletic schedule, Erik is in his third year of Chemical Engineering at McMaster University where he has won the Monsaroff Presentation Technical Competition.