The Mayor's

City of Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz invites you to nominate deserving community groups for the 2012 Mayor's Volunteer Service Awards. These awards have been created to honour those agencies or organizations which have made outstanding contributions to our City through volunteer service.

"Winnipeg is celebrated across Canada for the tremendous spirit, commitment, contribution, and skill of its volunteers. Every day, our citizens show they care in countless ways. It gives me great pride to congratulate Winnipeggers for making a difference. The glory of service is found in the inspiration of discovering what we can do to serve others."

The Awards, which are the result of a cooperative effort between the Office of the Mayor and Volunteer Manitoba, will be presented by the Mayor of the City of Winnipeg, His Worship Sam Katz at the Annual Volunteer Awards Dinner on Tuesday, April 17, 2012 at the Winnipeg Convention Centre.

Any agency or organization in Winnipeg actively engaged for at least one year in volunteer activities that have benefited the community may be nominated for an award. It also includes recognition of special onetime volunteer efforts (e.g. Flood of the Century, the 1999 Pan Am Games). Organizations or agencies for nomination should have demonstrated one or more of the following characteristics:

• Imagination and extraordinary effort in developing creative solutions to problems
• Organization and direction of an activity of exceptional importance
• Outstanding achievement toward solving problems of critical importance

Your nomination will be the only information available to the judges to describe how your nominee has benefited the community. Please include the following information in your nomination:

How important was the activity to the overall well being of the community?

Was an unmet community need addressed? Was a community program created where one did not formerly exist? Was a new program a more important contribution than expanding an existing program? What was the major benefit to people in the community?

The concern here is with the potential impact of the activity or service. How many people affected? How many volunteers are involved? Describe the range of activities (e.g. whether they affected a variety of issues or groups or dealt with one issue or group?)

Nominated activities should result in, or present, opportunities for mobilizing other volunteers.

Note the actual accomplishments of the voluntary activity or service rather than the goals/objectives of the project; there should be specific measurable results of the program/project.

Method relates to the way in which the activity or service was performed. Consideration should include amongst other things, the vigor, efficiency and overall organization of the effort and the extent to which the agency/organization marshaled other volunteer resources in support of the effort.

Consideration should be given to the degree to which the service or activity represents a new use of volunteers and/or a significantly new approach to problem solving.

Accompanying materials may include letters, testimonials, news clippings, pamphlets, etc. to a limit of eight (8) pages. All materials submitted become the property of the Mayor's Office.

Entries must be postmarked by midnight, March 2, 2012.

Send all entries to: