Windsor’s United Way announced the finalists Friday for its annual I Believe in My Community Awards.
Along with 26 finalists in eight categories, the United Way announced the recipients for its three Excellence Awards.
Bill and Rochelle Tepperman will receive the Leading the Way Award, Caesars Windsor will receive the Corporate Community Excellence Award and the Labour Award of Distinction will go to CUPE 82.
“These awards are really our most prestigious,” said Lorraine Goddard, CEO of United Way Windsor-Essex County. “They are given to an individual, a business or a labour union, really recognizing their enduring support to the community through United Way.”
The Award of Excellence recipients and nominees in the other categories were announced Friday during a news conference at the Windsor Star News Café. All the winners will be announced March 9 at Caesars Windsor. Visit weareunited.com for event details.
The awards are given annually to companies and individuals who go “above and beyond” to support United Way and exemplify generosity, community spirit and leadership.
“These are volunteers who are in workplaces who are out there promoting United Way, talking about the issues that our community is dealing with and really helping to educate the community about the work that United Way is doing,” said Goddard.
The 26 finalists come from the worlds of labour, media, policing, finance and other sectors. The finalists were chosen from more than 600 workplaces involved with United Way.
The general public can help decide the winner in one category. You can go to the United Way Windsor-Essex Facebook page to help choose the winner of this year’s Innovation Award. Voting runs until February 25.
Without the donations and countless volunteer hours of supporters, including all the award finalists, Goddard said United Way wouldn’t be able to help all the people it does.
“It’s because of this enduring support that United Way has be able to do its work since 1947,” said Goddard. “If we did not have the support year over year, we would not be doing the work that we do today. So we applaud all of the workplaces and thank them so much for their support.”
