Georgetown Lions Citizen of the Year and the Lion Fred Zorge Service Club Member of the Year
Halton Hills Ontario
Scroll Down to Learn More About This Year's COTY
Since 1972 The Georgetown Lions Club has honoured individuals, couples or organizations for their volunteer work in our community. They all have one thing in common, the desire to make Georgetown a better community for everyone. Our Lions members contribute thousands of hours of volunteer work each year we know what it takes to serve and it is fitting that we give recognition to a citizen who has served his or her community in an outstanding way. The final selection is based on the recipient’s achievements and their outstanding contributions to our community. The committee wishes to acknowledge and thank those Georgetown citizens who write to us and made nominations for the Citizen of the Year Award.
How Do I Nominate Someone?
To nominate an outstanding volunteer send a letter or if you prefer use our application form and return it to Lions Club Citizen of the Year, P.O. Box 73, Georgetown L7G 4T1, or email doug1951.p@gmail.com . Past nominations are carried forward for two years and will be reconsidered. This is your chance to truly recognize someone in our community that makes a difference in the lives of many in our town. To nominate using the Lions application form click on the link below:
Application Form
https://e-clubhouse.org/userfiles/25476/file/Georgetown%20Lions%20Club%20COTY%20application(1).pdf
2024 Citizen of the Year (COTY)
Georgetown Bread Basket (GBB)
Left to Right) Sharon Heaman, Vanessa Ricci, Lion Sulaimon Adepoju,Lion Doug Penrice, GBB Chair Anette Walker, Corina Pries, Baldish Basrai, Martha Clipperton, Lorraine Hardie, Ramona Porter posing with the plaque hnouring their work. Photo credit Mansoor Tanweer Halton Hills Today.
Date: March 25
Georgetown Citizen of the Year (COTY)
Georgetown Bread Basket (GBB)
The Georgetown Lions Club is pleased to announce that the Georgetown Bread Basket (GBB), Your Local Food Bank has been selected as the Georgetown Citizen of the Year. While this award usually is given to an individual the GBB was selected due to its positive impact on the community and it recognizes the great number of volunteers that come together to provide help for those facing food insecurity.
GBB was established in November 1996 and registered as charity on July 23, 1997. The increasing needs of the community have resulted in changing locations three times to meet the demand. Now located at 49B Mountainview Road North, GBB has the capacity to receive and distribute food needed for its growing client base. The GBB is currently feeding over 700 individuals per month. The number of people relying on GBB has skyrocketed from 3,417 annual visits per year in 2022 to 5,868 in 2024 a 72% increase. Many of the clients have jobs but with inflation and static wages cannot make ends meet.
GBB clients must register to be able to shop at the GBB and live in the Georgetown area including, Norval, Hornby, Limehouse, Ballinafad and Glen Williams however homeless people may also register. Clients are welcomed three days per week and can shop every two weeks, unlike other food banks the clients can actually shop for food as they select that they need and like.
GBB relies on dedicated volunteers to sort, solicit food and donations, assist clients shopping and do the administrative work. Volunteers pack up donations, sort the food and do community outreach
There is NO PAID staff at GBB a remarkable achievement. In 2024 volunteers contributed almost 25,000 hours of volunteer service including board members.
“I am in awe in the amount of constant work and dedication that it takes to manage the GBB each year by a total work force of volunteers. I am totally impressed with the meticulous care that is shown to the clients. Personal needs such as food allergies are taken into consideration” wrote Marilyn Serjeanston former COTY in her nomination letter.
The success of the operation depends on the generosity of the community both individuals and businesses that consistently provide food and cash donations 52 weeks of the year. Our community continues to support so many charitable causes in Georgetown and the Lions Club are proud of our small part in this ongoing work.
Past Recipients
1972- Peggy Treahy 1997 –Ron & Dorothy Hunt
1973 – Georgetown Volunteer Fire Dept. 1998 –May & Shell Lawr
1974 – Rev. Peter Barrow 1999- Paul C. Armstrong
1975 - Georgetown Volunteer Ambulance 2000- Barry & Sandra Timleck
Service
1976- Connie Nieuwhof 2001- Manley & Doreen Densmore
1977 –Walter H. Gray 2002- Martin Boomsma
1978- Irwin & Joy Noble 2003- Jenny Tuffin
1979 – Karen Harrison 2004- Tom Schenk
1980- Violet Haines 2005- Glenda Benton
1981- A.V. Ab Tennant 2006- Louise Brown
1982- Esme Ball 2007- Homecoming Committee 2007
1983- Ralph Ursel 2008- Dr. Jeff Sutherland
1984- W. “Steamer” Emerson 2009- Ernie Bodnar
1985- Jean Layman 2010- Dianne Penrice
1986- Georgetown Girls Pipeband 2011- Laurent Thibault
1987- Edward “Ted” Gorth 2012- Graeme Goebelle
1988- Thompson “Tom” Ramautarsingh 2013- Brenda Sisnett
1989- Jesse Hayes 2014- Fred Helson
1990- Siena Van Hoekelen 2015- Kay d’Entremont
1991- Lena Johnston 2016- Dave and Dale Cox
1992- A. “Sandy” Booth 2017- Gerry Kentner
1993- Lou Darcie 2018-Dee Dee Haynes-Ridley
1994- Russell Miller 2019-20 Marilyn Serjeanston
1995 –Lois Fraser 2021- Glen MacDonald
1996 –Trevor Williams 2022 Ken Thorne and Susan Tupling
2023 Paul Ivany
Pictures from the Awards Dinner March 25/25
Lorraine Hardie from GBB (L) recieives the Award from Mayor Lawlor
Newly elected MPP Joesph Racinsky presents the Provincal plaque to Romona Porter from GBB
Baldish Basrai from GBB receives the Chamber of Commerce Award from Karen McBride Vice Chair of the Chamber
Thank you to all our valued presenters.
The Lion Fred Zorge Service Club Member of the Year
The Georgetown Lions Club has since 1972 honoured a worthy volunteer by awarding the Annual Citizen of the Year Award. Over last 47 years the award has been given to individuals, couples or organizations that have made Georgetown a better community.
The format has remained consistent until 2019, Lions Club added a new award.. The Lions is the largest service club organization in the world with over 1.4 million members in over 200 countries we know the dedication that is required to be a good service club member.
Service clubs are unique in that the members join not only to undertake community service but also to form close bonds and friendships that endure for many years. Members may channel all their volunteerism through the service club the success of the projects undertaken benefit the community while the individual member may not get the recognition in the broader community as the whole club undertook the project. The Lions felt that the community should be able to honour and publicly acknowledge those service club members that give of their time and talents to the community accordingly a new award was established commencing in 2019 and will be combined with the Lion's Citizen to the Year Award Dinner.
The inaugural winner of the award in 2019 was Lion Fred Zorge
The Lion Fred Zorge Service Club Member of the Year 2021
Service clubs are unique in that the members join not only to undertake community service but also to form close bonds and friendships that endure for many years. Members may channel all their volunteerism through the service club, the success of the projects undertaken benefit the community while the individual member may not get the recognition in the broader community as the whole club undertook the project. The Lion Fred Zorge Service Club Member of the Year Award was created to honour a worthy service club member in the community. The inaugural award was presented to Lion Fred Zorge.
Special thanks to our caterer Linda Armstrong
