Back to SearchTonight’s Town of Aurora Community Recognition Awards celebrated numerous outstanding citizens and groups, with the honour of 2024 Aurora Citizen of the Year being bestowed upon Mr. Vern Cunningham.
Mayor Tom Mrakas and members of Aurora Town Council welcomed more than 120 guests to the ceremony honouring Aurora’s finest volunteers.
“Volunteers are the pillars of our community. They mentor, support charities, run sports and cultural events, and lead projects that help our Town and its residents thrive,” said Mayor Tom Mrakas. “It is only fitting that we get to honour them in such a special way that we can highlight their invaluable contributions.”
In addition to the Citizen of the Year, the Community Recognition Award winners for the evening included:
- Dabria Peta-Dragos, Youth Volunteer Award
- Alex and Rin Van Hemert, Older Adult Volunteer Award
- Donna Lewis, Green Award
- Rosa Calabrese, Arts and Culture Award
- Community Living - Central York, Community Leadership Award
- David Nisbet, Good Neighbour Award
- COBS Bread, Good Business Award
- Community & Home Assistance to Seniors (CHATS), Inclusivity Award
Awards were also given out to volunteers in recognition of 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 50 years of volunteer service to the community.
The service award winners were:
- 20 years: the late Trevor McCleery
- 25 years: Mike Bender, Irene Clement, John Clement, Silvana Croce, Karen Fullbrook, Toni Monaco, Stanley Weisbeker
- 30 years: John Sargent, Greg Way
- 35 years: Rob Gaby
- 40 years: Ross Haagsma, Glenn Sharp
- 50 years: Terry Pressmar
Vern Cunningham, the 2024 Town of Aurora Citizen of the Year, has shown a steadfast commitment to bettering his community through volunteerism. Mr. Cunningham’s early volunteer work saw him support small business owners through his work as an Aurora Chamber of Commerce board member and serving as ambassador for the York Region Small Business Enterprise Centre. He is a member of the Optimist Club and has served as the president of the Probus Club, where he remains an active board member. He has also sat on the board of the Bereaved Families of York Region, and has been a member of the Hope House Hospice bereavement team. Most recently, in 2022, Vern joined the board of the Aurora Seniors Centre and began chairing the fundraising committee – in his first year as chair, he helped raise over $15,000.
For more information on Aurora’s Community Recognition Awards or to view a full list of award categories and criteria, please visit aurora.ca/cra.
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