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Many exceptional Aurorans and organizations were recognized this evening at the Town of Aurora Community Recognition Awards, including Ms. Wendy Browne who was named as the 2023 Aurora Citizen of the Year.

Mayor Tom Mrakas and members of Aurora Town Council welcomed more than 100 guests to the ceremony honouring outstanding volunteers in Aurora.

“Volunteers enrich our community and play a critical role in mentoring others, supporting charitable causes, running sporting and cultural programs and organizing important initiatives that support our Town and its residents,” said Mayor Tom Mrakas.

In addition to the Citizen of the Year, the Community Recognition Award winners for the evening included:

• Laila Doran, Youth Volunteer Award
• Brian and Dianne Harrison, Senior Volunteer Award
• Windfall Ecology Centre, Green Award
• Sergey Wain-Fellowes, Arts and Culture Award
• Aurora Lions Club, Community Leadership Award
• Andrew Watt, Good Neighbour Award
• Central York Girls Hockey Association, Community Safety Award
• Oakridge’s Fashion Inc., Good Business Award
• David Heard, Inclusivity Award

Awards were also given out to volunteers in recognition of 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years of volunteer service to the community.

The service award winners were:

• 20 years: John Aird, Doug Kilpatrick, Anna Kroeplin, Frank Mete, Sandy Townsend and
Janice Walsh.

• 25 years: Joe Bentolila, Roy Cohen, Pat McMurray, Helene Selemidis-Hill
and Brian Walsh.

• 30 years: Tony Anderson, Jack Laurion and Margaret Thiffault.

• 35 years: Shirley Binns

• 40 years: Vic Priestly

Citizen of the Year Wendy Browne is an avid volunteer who has lived in Aurora since 1969. She is well-known in our community as the go-to volunteer, with many local organizations leaning on her for her support and her expertise. She is currently the Co-President and Events Co-ordinator of the Rotary Club of Aurora. She is the driving force of the Rotary Club, spearheading many initiatives, events and fundraisers. She has volunteered with the Aurora Historical Society, Aurora Sports Hall of Fame, Aurora Minor Ball Association, the Aurora Newmarket Girls Hockey Association, Mayor’s Charity Golf Tournament and the Mayor’s Aurora Cares Community Action Tea, to name a few. She juggles many roles effortlessly – while actively volunteering, she is also an award-winning realtor with more than 30 years in the business. She is a dedicated mom, grandma and friend.

For more information on Aurora’s Community Recognition Awards or to view a full list of award categories and criteria, please visit the Community Recognition Awards page.