Community Living Gala Celebrates Inclusion and Achievement

On Thursday September 18th the Fort St. John Association for Community Living held their Annual Awards Gala at the Lido Theatre.

Supplied photos

This special evening brought together the people we support, their family and friends, and the Association’s staff to recognize and celebrate their amazing accomplishments within our community.

This year they presented over 115 awards, all of which represented outstanding achievement, perseverance, and inclusion in the lives of the people we support and the many others who make our Association possible throughout the year.

Special Awards included the Gayle Flavelle Memorial Award for excellence in Supported Employment, which was given to Erik Dube, a long-time employee at Amanda’s No Frills. The Self-Advocate of the Year Award recognized Kai Bell for his bravery, persistence, and strength in becoming his own biggest advocate. The Jean Mensink Volunteer Award was presented to Chelsea Langthorne, who with her commitment and compassion has helped to ensure that people with disabilities have the programs and support if needed.

Freedom Physio received the Community Support Award for their efforts to ensure their services are more inclusive and accessible to people with complex needs. Car 60 was given the Community Partnership Award for their continued advocacy and collaboration in helping to make life better for our community and the Association through creating new opportunities and resources.

MCs for the evening included the Board Members Dan Davies, Shannon Stange and John Lambert. Joining them was Tyler Lillico, a member of their Community Connections and Careers programs. Together they provided an energetic introduction to all their award recipients as we celebrated another great evening together.

The Annual Awards Gala is one of the most highly anticipated events of the year and a wonderful way for our community to come together and celebrate the accomplishments of the individuals we support.