Events Community Award Nominees - Cambridge Chamber of Commerce

Chamber unveils Community Awards nominees

The Cambridge Chamber of Commerce has unveiled the nominees for its 2024 annual Cambridge & North Dumfries Community Awards.

The awards celebrate the successes and accomplishments made by the dedicated volunteers and staff of local not-for-profits and services clubs throughout the last year by recognizing the impact they’ve made in the community through collaboration and outstanding leadership.

This year, more than 50 nominees representing nearly 40 groups are being recognized by the Chamber in nine award categories. An additional award, the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, will be presented to one individual who during the past 15 years or more, has made significant contributions to the community and whose accomplishments have brought recognition to Waterloo Region.

“We created these awards as a way to acknowledge how much we appreciate and admire these organizations and individuals and what they do to make our community a great place to call home,” said Cambridge Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Greg Durocher. “These awards are an important way to show these dedicated individuals who operate in the non-profit community that their commitment has not gone unnoticed.”

The awards represent a wide spectrum of categories highlighting the great work undertaken by these individuals and organizations. These include the Community Leadership Award, which is given to an individual who stands out because of their exceptional professional and/or volunteer achievements in the community, as well as the Arts and Culture Award, recognizing an individual or organization that has contributed significantly to the local cultural scene in the past year.

Several hundred community leaders and guests will attend the awards event on Thursday, Nov. 14, at Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge. The ceremony is one of the Chamber’s most popular events and has honoured the contributions and achievements of these community builders for more than a decade.

Learn more about the Cambridge & North Dumfries Community Awards.

Award Final Nominees:

Community Collaboration-	Business & Education Partnership of Waterloo Region Cambridge Symphony Orchestra Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region Preston Heights Community Group Shelter Movers Southwestern Ontario Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin
Community Impact People’s Choice Award	Citizens for Cambridge Camino Wellbeing Mental Health Grand River Pride Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region Hashtag Hope Shelter Movers Southwestern Ontario YWCA Cambridge
Community Leadership	Jennifer L. Mountain (President, Community on Stage) Cameron Dearlove (Executive Director, Porchlight Counselling and Addiction Services) Courtney Waterfall (Chapter Director, Shelter Movers Southwestern Ontario) Charlene Hofbauer (Executive Director, Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin) Ellia Loschnig (Community Co-ordinator, Preston Heights Community Group)
Arts and Culture Award	Cambridge Symphony Orchestra Downtown Cambridge Night Market Penny & Pound Theatre Productions Galt Jazz Galt Porchfest
Best Event of the Year	Cambridge Cultural Association (Cambridge Multicultural Festival) Cambridge Scottish Festival Cambridge Canada Day Grand River Pride (Cambridge Pride Week) Hespeler Village Music Festival in Forbes Park Kinbridge Community Association (Neighbourhood Day and Newcomer Picnic) Preston Town Centre BIA (Preston Food Crawl)
Board Member Award	Nicola Melchers (Cambridge Memorial Hospital – Past Board President) Bob Howison (Cambridge Shelter Corp. – Board Chair) Ray Ward (Porchlight Counselling and Addiction Services – Secretary, Retired Staff Sgt.) Todd Lyons (Rotary Club of Cambridge Preston-Hespeler – Board member)
Volunteer of the Year	Danielle Brett (519 Community Collective Kitchen) Merry Schmidt (Ayr-Paris Band and the Ayr 200 Committee) Corina Dunn (Cambridge Community Players) Scott Wahl (Shelter Movers Southwestern Ontario)
Organization of the Year - Under 10 Employees	100 Women Who Care Waterloo Region Business & Education Partnership of Waterloo Region Cambridge Memorial Hospital Foundation Citizens for Cambridge Food4Kids Waterloo Region SEEDS – Supporting Every Eve’s Daughter Safely Shelter Movers Southwestern Ontario
Organization of the Year- 11 and Over Employees	Camino Wellbeing and Mental Health, Region of Waterloo Community Living Cambridge Community Support Connections – Meals on Wheels and More Kidsability Langs Porchlight Counselling and Addiction Services
Lifetime Achievment Award	Recipient to be announced at the ceremony

Our Sponsors Include:

Award Final Nominees:

Community Collaboration-

Community Impact People’s Choice Award

Community Leadership

Arts and Culture Award

Best Event of the Year

Board Member Award

Volunteer of the Year

Organization of the Year - Under 10 Employees

Organization of the Year- 11 and Over Employees

Lifetime Achievment Award