Who will be the Citizen of the Year, the Nichole Stock award winner, take home the Business of the Year prize?
These and more questions will be answered at the Cowichan Lake District Chamber of Commerce’s 19th annual Spring Fling on April 27.
However, as a teaser, finalists were announced at the chamber’s annual general meeting on March 7.
Taking the microphone at the end of the session, Jenn Pollner announced that the three finalists for Citizen of the Year were Bob Day, for his work with the Trailblazers Society and the 75th birthday, Dennis Peters for the BC Championship Pickleball, and Dick Orman for his work with the Honeymoon Bay Hall Society.
Judges must also choose among Maureen Loebus, Eva Fearon, and Katherine Worsley for a winner of the Nichole Stock Memorial Community Service Award.
“These are all great volunteers, and wear more than one hat,” Pollner said.
The owners of Carmanah Pizza, Swordfern Boutique, and Scarlett’s Boutique and Coffee Bar must wait until April to find out which among them will be crowned Business of the Year, which is sponsored by Island Savings.
“All three are amazing local businesses that do really well with our youth, with our locals, with our tourists to give back to our community. I’m really excited about those nominations,” Pollner said.
The Customer Service Award, which is sponsored by Country Grocer, will go to one of Denise Allan of Dot’s Shoe Store, Lorna Vomacka of Lorna’s Emporium, or Steve Nahirnick of Black Jax Appliance Repair.
“All three of those are also amazing business people who offer excellent customer service,” she said
A Youth of the Year award sees Mallory Marrs, Amanda Nixon, and Matthew Kercher as finalists.
And there’s an Above and Beyond Award, and a Lifetime Achievement Award, both announced at the event, Pollner said, which will see the Spring Fling thus take on the atmosphere of the Duncan-Cowichan Chamber’s Black Tie Awards. The event will offer a fun-filled night in the Upper Centennial Hall, with a buffet dinner, entertainment, a live and silent auction, and lots of prizes to be won.
“The talk of today is volunteerism and we acknowledge all of those people, whether they win or not. Each of those finalists is a winner, they put so much into our community.”
Tickets for what is now being called the Annual Spring Fling Business & Community Excellence Awards Gala are now available for $50 at the Visitors Centre.