4-H Canada to Honour Outstanding Volunteer Leaders at Prestigious 2018 4-H Leadership Awards

Ottawa, ON – February 2, 2018 – 4-H Canada is pleased to recognize and honour its exceptional volunteer leaders and the recipient of the 2017 4-H Canada National Volunteer of the Year Award, Ms. Norma Ansloos. This year these outstanding volunteer leaders will be celebrated at the 2018 4-H Canada Leadership Awards happening in Ottawa on February 8, 2018.

Norma Ansloos of the Springbank Rawhides 4-H Club in Alberta was chosen as the 2017 4-H Canada National Volunteer of the Year. This award, which is generously supported by The Co-operators, recognizes the significant and pivotal role volunteer leaders play in the 4-H program, is driven by nominations from 4-H members who want to share the positive impact their provincial 4-H leaders have had on them and their communities.

“I am truly honored to receive this award. 4-H has always been a passion of mine both as a former member and certainly as a leader,” said Norma Ansloos. “To be able to provide leadership to our youth and see them grow into caring, capable and certainly multi-faceted adults is a very personal reward for me.”

“The 4-H program would not be what it is today without the work of our incredible volunteers. The level of knowledge and development of skills that they are able to transfer to 4-H youth through hands-on experiences and to the values of community engagement make them invaluable to the 4-H program and all that it does across the country,” said Shannon Benner, CEO of 4-H Canada. “Our 2017 4-H Canada Volunteer Leader of the Year Award recipients best exemplify the dedication and passion all our volunteers put into 4-H and I am more than thrilled to congratulate them all.”

As the 2017 4-H Canada National Volunteer Leader of the Year, Ms. Ansloos will receive a prize package which includes a cash prize and a roundtrip ticket to Ottawa for the Leadership Summit and Awards where she will subsequently be honoured for her contributions to 4-H and toward helping develop future leaders in her community.

“For over two decades, The Co-operators has supported 4-H Canada and thanks the volunteer leaders who make 4-H such a valuable program,” added The Co-operators’ Senior Director of the National Farm Portfolio, Kirsten Holt. “With over 7,700 volunteers who contribute their time, expertise and dedication to 4-H, The Co-operators is pleased to recognize these contributions with this annual award. Congratulations to Norma and the provincial winners! Thank you for all you do for Canada’s youth!”.

National Winner

Norma Ansloos (AB)

Provincial Winners

Linda Bartsch (BC)
Tammy Rumpel (SK)
Heather Lea (MB)
Linda Debney (ON)
Phyllis Danforth-Rouleau (QC)
Helen MacDiarmid (NB)
Edith Wood (NS)
Brenda Larsen (PE)
Terri-Lynn Gillett (NL)

To learn more about the National Volunteer Leader of the Year and nominate someone for the 2018 Awards please visit, 4-h-canada.ca.

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For more information, media may contact:
Jay Poulton
Director, Marketing and Communications
4-H Canada
(613) 759-1013 ext. 131
jpoulton@4-h-canada.ca