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Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Diabetes Canada. What we do is fueled by the passion of our volunteers. In 2021 we marked an important milestone as we recognized the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin. In 2024, we will have many volunteer opportunities to continue to support those living with or affected by diabetes and the healthcare professionals who care for them.
Despite the discovery of insulin over 100 years ago, diabetes continues to be impact many more people across the country. With the help of volunteers, Diabetes Canada has an exciting year ahead with educational programs, workshops, conferences, fundraising events, programs for kids and families, and continued advocacy.
Interested in Volunteering? Please complete this Expression of Interest form and we will notify you when there are upcoming opportunities.
Video: 2025 Diabetes Canada National Volunteer Awards
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Hello and welcome to Diabetes Canada's National Volunteer Awards virtual event.
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Uh so my name is Jeff Abraham and I'm the senior manager of volunteer engagement here. Uh thanks for joining
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us that we get to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of all of our Diabetes Canada volunteers and this is just an
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opportunity for us to celebrate and uh we're excited to acknowledge the dedication of all our volunteers this
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year and this year's awards recipients. Um, they are going to be receiving an award in the mail very shortly. And I'd
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like to just take a second just to show you that award. Let me see if I can take myself off here so you can see that.
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There we go. So, this is what the award looks like. So, everybody will be receiving this with their name engraved
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on the top, a nice diabetes Canada logo in the middle, and our diabetes blue on
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the bottom. So, looking forward to sending all of that to you all. uh in
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the next few days. All right. And uh we're going to start off with our land acknowledgement and want to just start
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off with we come with respect for this land that we're on today that I'm on today in Toronto to Toronto which is a
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traditional territory of many nations including the Missasagas of the Credit, the Anesnab, the Chipoa, the Hoden, and
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the Wendette peoples and is now home to the many diverse first nations, Inuit and Matei people. Also acknowledge that
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Toronto is covered by the dish with the one spoon wampham belt covenant and later treaty 13 side with the missagas
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of the credit and the Williams treaty side with mult multiple missagas of the credit and chipoa bands. I want to take
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a moment to acknowledge the importance of the lands in which we call home. We do this to reaffirm our commitment and
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our responsibility in improving our relationships between nations and to improving our own understanding of local
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indigenous peoples and their own cultures. I encourage us all to take time to learn about the traditional
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lands on which we are on and the indigenous peoples who helped us steward the land and waterways for many
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generations before we arrived as settlers here and how we will commit to care for these lands and history today
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and for future generations. I'm going to now pass it over to a member of our senior leadership team at
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Diabetes Canada, Tim Duza. He's the senior vice president of finance and operations to start us off.
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Uh, great. Thanks. so much Jeff and good afternoon and welcome everyone. Uh as
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you know we're here to celebrate our Diabetes Canada's dedicated volunteers,
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people who generously give their time to uh the organization uh so that we can uh
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work towards our vision of a world free from the effects of diabetes. All
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volunteers play a very critical role um in helping us work towards that vision.
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We're honoring those that were nominated uh for awards and the award recipients,
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those that were selected uh to to receive a selection of these honors. The
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award recipients were selected by the volunteer engagement committee with the support of diabetes candidate staff and
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the senior leadership team. We received many nominations from across the country, making this year's selection uh
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the whole process a really difficult one. So, thank you to everybody who took
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the time uh to submit their nominations. Uh each ward uh award recipient, as Jeff
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had mentioned, will receive their award shipped to their home. Uh in the case of
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group uh a group efforts, group award, one award will be shared amongst the
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group and one representative from that group um has been uh designated to
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speak. We're thrilled to recognize this year's outstanding volunteers and celebrate
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their invaluable contributions. I'd like to welcome Sonia Young, a
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volunteer who serves as the chair of our board of directors. Thank you Sonia for
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for being with us today. Uh this year we have five categories of
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volunteer awards and a total of 13 individuals and groups being recognized.
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The award categories are as follows. Uh the national young volunteer
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uh of the year award and there's one recipient. a national volunteers of the year and
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there are nine recipients in total. The National Advocacy Leadership Award and
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there's one award recipient. The Innovation Award that has one award
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recipient and the Charles H. Best Award that also has one award recipient.
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So, with that, I'm going to introduce and pass things along uh to uh our
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Diabetes Canada president and CEO, Laura Siren, for some opening remarks. Over to
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you, Laura. Thanks, Tim, so much. And uh it's a true pleasure to join you all
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here today. There are faces I am familiar with uh and there are some new folks that I'm thrilled to meet and be
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able to celebrate with you. And just I really want to start by saluting all of you. uh who are just such incredible
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Diabetes Canada's volunteers. Um I am not exaggerating when I say that
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Diabetes Canada could literally not do our work without you. We could not do work without a vibrant community of
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talented, passionate, and dedicated people like you. We just we couldn't. We're 130 staff and there's almost 500
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of you and and the work just would not go on without you. So um thank you so
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much. I'm just going to give a little sense of the kind of volunteers we use because it's really across the whole
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organization. So, let's first talk about Damps, our diabetes camps. We could not
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run our nine uh summer camps and our 12 family camp programs without a whole
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range of volunteers. Thanks to their service, more than a thousand kids age 7
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to 17 get to have an unforgettable summer camp experience. allows them to
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build friendships and memories and really build confidence in living with diabetes. Another way volunteers help us
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is through our advocacy efforts. And our advocacy volunteers, they raise their voices. They share their stories. They
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go to provincial legislatores. They come to Ottawa. They've helped build incredible momentum this year uh with
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provincial and federal leaders. And for example, because of those volunteers, they helped lead to the announcement of
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four historic pharmarmacare agreements over the last six months in three provinces and one territory. We couldn't
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have done it without our volunteers. Um, from our healthc care providers, and I
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see a couple of you, I'm looking at Beiju Rachel on the call there. Um, we
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released two new clinical practice guideline chapters this year that includes a new users guide, tools,
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webinars, resources. All of those guidelines help improve the quality of life of people who live with diabetes.
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Um, from our fundraising volunteers, there's lots on the line here too. Uh, they help raise funds and communities.
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They might be at golf tournaments, our pumpkin fashion shows, gallas, hockey games, local events, initiatives, walk,
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all those funds that go directly to support our mission and our life-changing life-saving research. And
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that brings us to another set of volunteers um our research volunteers. And this year, you may not know, marks
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our 50th anniversary of DC funding research, diabetes research in this country. And honestly, we couldn't have
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achieved those 50 years without a great range of research volunteers. They not only sit on our national research
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council, they do peer review, but a lot of them get out and support fundraising, get on their bikes, do the walks, all
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that kind of stuff. So, thanks to them. We also have volunteers in Banting
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House, the historic Banting House in London, Ontario that DC owns. Those volunteers led nearly 3,000 people on
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tours of that place this year. And again, without volunteers, Banting House would not be what it is. So, as you can
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see, we are not exaggerating when we say volunteers are the heartbeat of Diabetes Canada. And to each and every volunteer
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on this call right now, thank you. Your dedication, your passion, your hard work
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make it possible for us to continue pursuing the vision. And I think we all know we want to create a world free of
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the effects of diabetes and everything you do helps us towards that vision.
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So, thank you very much. I am thrilled to now turn it over. We're going to start actually celebrating some of those
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volunteers. Um, and I it's my pleasure to turn it over to Matthew English for the National Young Volunteer Award.
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Thank you so much, Laura. Uh, welcome, welcome. Thank you everyone for attending. Uh, hi, I'm Matt English. I
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am the manager of digital fundraising here at DC and I have the pleasure of sharing the first award today which is
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for the national young volunteer award. Now this award celebrates the invaluable
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contributions of youth in advancing diabetes Canada's mission and goals. This award is designed to recognize
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individuals up to 29 years old who have made significant contributions to Diabetes Canada and the award aims to
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encourage and inspire continued engagement and commitment to our cause. This year I have the absolute pleasure I
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am delighted to announce the award for National Young Volunteer goes to a very impressive young teenager Jessica Sher.
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Give it up for Jessica Sher. Now, Jessica, let me tell you about uh it's an incredible story. Jessica has a
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personal connection to diabetes. Her friend was diagnosed uh with diabetes and that's what led her to successfully
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achieve two of her goals. One of which was to raise funds for Diabetes Canada and the other was to raise awareness
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about DC's work in the community. During this process, Jessica walked over 366
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kilometers to symbolize one kilometer for every day in the year 2024. Uh she
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surpassed her initial fundraising goal for Lace Up to End Diabetes, further surpassed her new fundraising goal,
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raised a total of $13,000 uh 13200, sorry, over $13,000. Uh she
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was a lace up ambassador, uh and she's been selected to represent Diabetes Canada at the International 10 kilometer
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UK Wellness Walk London Bridge this year. Congratulations to a very uh
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deserving winner of the National Young Volunteer Award, Jessica Sher.
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Now, uh Jessica, appropriately enough, out in BC, it is still the early afternoon where Jessica lives. So,
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Jessica is in school right now. So, uh but I do believe uh we will we will be sending her a trophy and she also shared
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a short video for us that we can watch right now.
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Hello, my name is Jessica Sher. I am 12 years old and last year I raised money
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for Diabetes Canada in honor of my friend who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I want to thank her and her
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family for all the support that they gave me. And I want to thank my sponsors, my family and friends for
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helping me find the best in me and helping me figure out who I am. And I
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just want to thank everyone who was there at my event and everyone who helped me raise my money. Thank you.
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Thanks, Jessica. So, next up, we're going to be going through the next nine awards, which are for the National
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Volunteers of the Year Award. These are either individuals or groups who have um
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been able to share and gone above and beyond in supporting the work of DC. The National Volunteer of the Year has
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outstanding dedication to DC or has an outstanding achievement. So to start
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off, we're gonna have Lauren Linklater, uh, who's the senior manager of Damps to present the first award.
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Thanks, Jeff. And hello, everyone. I am truly thrilled to congratulate Sierra
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Stevens, also known as Lark at camp, uh, for being a National Volunteer of the
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Year award recipient. Sierra's been volunteering with Diabetes Canada since
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about 2016. Sierra, my math and years start to blur at camp to be honest, but
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Sierra has been supporting our Damps program as a nurse and a certified diabetes educator at Camp Lion Maxwell
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as well as Camp Angus family camp. However, she doesn't stop there. Sierra
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is also a Halifax pump couture model supporting both on and off of the
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runway. In 2024, Sierra took on a bigger leadership role and step forward in
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supporting both the strategic planning and future planning at Damps to ensure
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that 2025, this upcoming summer would be successful. This is including helping to
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facilitate programming for parents and guardians at family camp, as well as looking at education and continued
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support and empowerment for campers and families alike. She's a passionate and
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enthusiastic lifelong learner and is always approachable, engaging for
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everyone no matter where they are in their diabetes journey. On behalf of all
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of us at Damp, Sierra, I would like to say thank you, Nurse Lark. I'm happy to
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introduce Sierra and hand it over to her for a few words.
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Thank you, Lauren. Uh it's always hard to follow you and uh but yes, I'm always
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happy to say a little bit about myself. Uh I I always say that I'm a
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self-proclaimed diabetes nerd and I think this is just another kind of proof of that to be recognized in this way
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which I'm very happy about. Um, one of the big reasons I like to be involved in
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volunteering with Diabetes Canada is because I think, you know, as corny as it may sound, I think my life's work is
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really looking at changing the conversation when it comes to diabetes and what it truly means to live with
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diabetes and helping to denounce and get rid of that stigma that people experience any type of diabetes that
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they live with. Um, I've modeled, as you mentioned. I guess you already kind of gave a rundown of the things I do to
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volunteer. So, I won't jump any more into that, but I'll just say that I
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really considered this a very important and exciting part of my life to be involved in Diabetes Canada and the
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community. There's really nothing like it and the way you feel after going home from events like pumpkur or d camps or
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I've done a little bit of speaking on diabetes Canada connect and just leaves me feeling those good vibes. So thank
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you. Thank you for recognizing me. It feels nice.
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Thank you Sierra. And of course while I have the privilege of getting to see you
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work your magic at Damps. It is truly inspiring how much you support us across
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Diabetes Canada. We are truly going coast to coast here just like all things Damps and I am so
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honored to be sharing the next recipient of the national volunteer year of sorry
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year award uh which is Maya Bennett. So Maya has been involved with Damps also
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for quite some time but in more recent years joined us as a nurse as part of
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our Camp Cacamela medical team. It's no secret that postcoid was a challenging
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period especially in the healthcare industry. During this sometimes
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challenging time, Maya stepped up to the plate to not only support our DampMamps
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program, but also worked hard to help find and recruit health care professionals to help with our Damps
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programs. In 2024, Maya again stepped up uh in a more formal head nurse role to
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help with some really important and critical transition and succession planning. MA has been instrumental in
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helping us improve efficiency and operations at Camp Cacamela in recent
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years, both on and off the island. I would like to point out uh and is always
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thinking of how to ensure everyone is always having fun, whether that's
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leading a camp song and putting on her camp counselor hat once again or
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facilitating caregiver learning sessions at family camp. Congratulations, Maya.
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over to you. Thanks, Lauren.
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Really just hyping me up there. That's very kind of you. Um, I appreciate it. I
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appreciate the recognition. It's more in the spotlight than I'm used to, but it's
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definitely nice to see. Um, I have a long history with Damps. It's such a
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unique and fun program that I get to be a part of. And you really do get to see
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campers just build their confidence and independence and a whole community right in front of you. So of course there's no
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question that the work I do is very much worth it. I I feel lucky I get to be a
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part of DAPS and kind of stay part of the program. And I'll echo what many
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people have said, but a huge thank you to everybody here. Um, I know the work
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that we do at Damps and my own contributions would very much not be possible without everybody behind it.
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So, thank you and I'm looking forward to hear about
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everybody else this year. Thanks so much, Maya. Uh, and certainly
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looking forward to seeing you in a few short weeks at camp. In fact, um, of
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course, I am finally happy to be presenting the next national volunteer
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of the year award, which goes to Jan Gloier.
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Jan is or once joined us as part of Damps as a camp nurse uh and a longtime
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program staff, but I wanted to celebrate and acknowledge her work with diabetes
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Canada as a volunteer with the friends of camp. This is a DampS alumni group uh
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where she has served as the co-chair for over a decade now. Uh this has been a
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lot longer than most volunteer roles and certainly like I said her time with
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Diabetes Canada in her volunteer roles and capacities certainly far exceeds
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this. This uh time in this role has included a lot of administrative work to
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help ensure that this group meets regularly, has proper governance and structure and is consistently working
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towards a mission and vision that not only aligns with DAMPS but the rest of
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Diabetes Canada as an organization as well looking to find where the needs are
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in supporting and making sure that those needs are met as well. One thing that Jan was incredibly instrumental in was
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the success of the Hir 50th anniversary celebration. That was a lot of moving
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pieces. A two-year pause with COVID, but making sure that generations of campers,
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staff, families, and health care professionals all had a chance to reconnect in a place in a space that
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meant so much to them. Jan unfortunately is unable to join us tonight. uh but I
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do wish to send a congratulations to her and Jan has sent along a message to uh
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share with us as well. So I believe we will play that now.
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I am honored to accept this award and would like to thank my parents for sending me to camp 60 years ago and camp
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director Uncle Don Anderson who provided leadership for decades ensuring the wonderful experiences that so many have
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shared. Investing time and energy with the friends of camp hir alumni group has
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provided so much more in return than I have contributed. I am grateful to those who chose to acknowledge my
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contributions to friends of camp hir and I will share the honor with all the dedicated alumni that help our wonderful
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camp community thrive. Thank you.
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Excellent. Thanks Jan. Um, hello everyone. Um, my name is Grant
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Malman and I'm the curator at Banning House National Historic Site of Canada. Um, the birthplace of London, birthplace
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of insulin in London, Ontario. I'm pleased to congratulate one of our standout volunteers to Shayla Gothther
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for being a national volunteer of the year. Tayla is a standout vol weekend
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volunteer and I really want to stress the importance of a weekend volunteer. busiest busiest day on most of the year
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for us. And so it's a it's you can't say enough about what she does for us. She's contributed over 160 hours delivering
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tours for our guests. She trains volunteers. She's also a supply volunteer. Uh in case a volunteer gets
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called in to work, has an exam, Tasha is always there to answer an email or a call to help us out uh to cover those
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weekend shifts. and she also comes in for special events. And one of the other neat things about Tasha is she also
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offers our tours in French to our visitors who speak our other official language. Uh Tasha is on this weekend
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and so she's saving her voice and she sent in a video for us. So we can play that now.
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Hi, my name is Tasha and it is such an honor to receive the National Volunteer of the Year Award. Volunteering at
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Banting House is such a treat and getting to meet people from all around the world who are deeply connected to diabetes and its history serves as a
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wonderful reminder of why I'm doing this work. I'd like to thank everybody at Diabetes Canada, but particularly Terry
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and Grant and all the wonderful volunteers at Banting House. They have all welcomed me in this space and continue to inspire me through their
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work. I'd also like to thank all the visitors to the museum. I'm so happy to be part of this community. So, thank
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you. There's just an example of what Tasha
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can do for us. So, plan a visit to London this summer and perhaps you can get her for one of your tours. Uh, next
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I'd like to recognize Finn Oxner as a recipient of our volunteer award. Finn
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has contributed more than 60 hours of volunteer service here at Banning House and is one of only three secondary
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school student volunteers we've had since 1993. Uh, so he's been a a wonderful addition
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to our team. He too leads tours on the weekends, conducts conducts training for new volunteers. He too does uh sometimes
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do tours in French. He's also a supply volunteer for the other volunteers when they can't make their shifts. He's
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helped out with many special events. Uh he's a big help on World Diabetes Day reading one of our diab uh Dear Dr.
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Banting letters a couple years. He's actually written his own. Uh he's passionate. Uh a big help. Uh this
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winter I was away a lot and he kindly came in uh to help shovel as we had a
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real winter in London this year and so he came in and cleared the path so our visitors and other volunteers could come
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in. Uh Finn also in his last year of uh secondary school did a fundraiser to
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help raise funds for diabetes Canada to support research. So congratulations Finn. Uh Finn is enjoying his gap year
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and is on vacation and away but he did send in this video. So, if we could play that now.
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Hello everyone. My name is Finn Oxner. I'm an 18-year-old volunteer at the Banting House National Historic Site in
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Museum in London, Ontario. On behalf of my family and myself, I would like to thank the National Volunteer Awards
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Committee at Diabetes Canada for selecting me for this award. I'm forever grateful and honored. Thank you.
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Awesome. Thanks so much, Finn. Uh it's me again, Matt. I have the pleasure of introducing one more national volunteer
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of the year award winner. Uh this next national volunteer uh national volunteer
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of the year award uh actually goes to a group and that group is known as the seek motorcycle club of Canada. Seek
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motorcycle club of Canada. Uh this amazing group has created significant awareness of uh diabetes in their
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community and has also been a huge uh fundraising boost for Diabetes Canada. They've raised over $250,000
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uh through their charity rides. In 2024, they raised $60,000
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through the Cross Country ride for Cause which helps uh kids at our Damps that we
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operate. Uh this uh ride that they operate initially started in Ontario. It is now expanded across the country in uh
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seek motorcycle club chapters across the country. They've been able to raise significant awareness not just funds but
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they also uh promote diabetes education and awareness particularly in the South
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Asia South Asian and seek communities across Canada. This is actually the second time that the seek motorcycle
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club are the national volunteer of the year award winners. Uh thank you so much for the continued amazing uh support and
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for being champions in your community, for raising awareness of diabetes, for your fundraising, and for making a
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difference. Congratulations. Um we uh unfortunately uh couldn't be able to uh
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make a speech, but there are there are many I think there's over a hundred members of this motorcycle club across the country. Uh we will be definitely
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mailing them their trophy, and we send you once again our congratulations and our thank you for your efforts.
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Great. Thanks, Matthew. Hi everyone. My name is Candace Aqui and I'm a manager with the diabetes knowledge and
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connection team here at DC. And next up, we'd like to recognize Azra Nadinem as
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our next national volunteer of the year recipient. As Azra has been a virtual diabetes education program volunteer
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guest facilitator with our team, it's a program that I manage. Um, and as
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someone who is both registered nurse and a certified diabetes educator, she comes with a lot of wisdom and knowledge that
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she's always looking to pass on to others and does it in a meaningful way to make complicated concepts simple.
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She's also been instrumental in referring other volunteers to Diabetes Canada to help support our work. So,
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congratulations Azra. As was said earlier, we cannot do this work without all of you. Over to you to share a few
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words. Hi everybody. Thanks so much Candace and
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thank you for the um National Volunteer um awards committee. I'm um both humbled and honored. Um diabetes is very close
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to my heart. Um both as a diabetes educator um an emergency nurse. I see
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people from all sorts of spectrums um that come with diabetes complications. I've uh volunteered um both as a
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community diabetes educator um as an outpatient as well as as a emergency
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nurse. So I see a whole u variety of people with lots of um um you know
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issues and and I try my best to offer um all types of support that I can. Um it
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is a journey. So I always like to um uh end off with a hope that you know wherever you are in your journey of
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diabetes, you can always make changes. Um and I always try to instill confidence um and motivation in my
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patients and um individuals that live with diabetes that you know you are
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wherever you are. You don't compare your your diabetes with anybody else. um and knowledge is what instills um you know
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that um motivation to continue on and bettering your health. Um thank you for the committee. I'm I'm very honored um
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to be um recipient of this award. Thanks. Thanks so much Azra as hopefully all of
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you can see the passion that comes through our volunteers. And it's my pleasure to introduce our next national
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volunteer of the year award uh to Sandra Vaneri who is also a very passionate uh
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guest volunteer facilitator of the virtual diabetes education program. Sandra has helped to share food and
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knowledge strategies in a relatable way and personal way and she helps to empower people to make nourishing food
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choices to maintain balanced blood sugar levels and fully enjoy the world of food. She's also volunteered at Damps as
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a dietetic coordinator offering her expertise at Camp Hir. She's regularly
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engaged in a personal personal life in learning more and sharing all the important information through her social
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platforms to ensure people are engaged in learning. So again, congratulations
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Sandra. We cannot do this without you. And over to you to share a few words.
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Thank you Candace and thank you Diabetes Canada. It is honestly an honor. Um, I
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never volunteer for any recognition. So, it's actually pretty sweet, pun intended, um, for, you know, us to be
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able to be recognized. Um, and you're right, I actually really did fall in love with this organization and what
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they do. Um, I started off as a nutrition student. Um, trying to just dabble and see and I literally fell in
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love at camp. So it started kind of a journey where I've you know been so
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thankful to be able to have different opportunities to volunteer and provide you know kind of my skills or my passion
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or my tips and tricks and I've learned a lot along the way from everybody I have been in contact with at the
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organization. So I can't speak I speak like the just the best about this
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organization, the people that lead it um and even all the people that you guys
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attract. It's just such a nice community to know that we're doing something and we're actually helping whether it's kids
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and to be able to do national education to see, you know, be able to help people
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to give accessibility as well and to support people um you know in their
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health. So I am so grateful myself. So thank you very very much for just even
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providing an opportunity for me to be super passionate and and help. But um it's been an amazing journey and it'll
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still continue and I'm thankful that there's so many opportunities big and small um that we can be a part of um you
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know your initiatives and and your vision. Thank you so much Sandra. Um and I I'll
31:06
take over the mantle from here. So it's Laura again and um I have the absolute
31:11
privilege of introducing our next national volunteer of the year award. Um, and that goes to Michael McMullen.
31:18
And um, I will actually first of all declare a bias that um, I'm just so
31:24
personally pleased to do this because I met Michael almost on my first day at the job here because Michael was a
31:29
member of the board of directors here and uh, when I came in was so instrumental in guiding me. So Michael
31:36
formally joined as a volunteer here at Diabetes Canada in 2018. So it's it's been a long run. He served as a member
31:43
of the Diabetes Canada board of directors for six years and uh was vice chair of the board for three of those.
31:50
But not only did he do that, we have a sister organization, National Diabetes Trust that raises a lot of money for us
31:57
and he also sat on that board for six years. So he was on two boards and in the NDT board he was the chair of the
32:03
board for three of those. So this is someone very very deeply uh steeped in our governance and our overall strategy
32:10
etc. as I said, a real guide to me as a new CEO here. Beyond that though, he has
32:17
been a tireous advocate for diabetes awareness, particularly in his home province of Manitoba. So, from the time
32:22
I got here, I always heard you can count on Michael to go to the Manitoba legislature and and really advocate for
32:30
us on whatever our issue of the day was. So he's really helped there shine a spotlight on many many diabetes issues
32:38
and he's always ensuring that education around diabetes and awareness remain front and center uh front and center.
32:44
One of the things for me in in nominating Michael for this was also something that he said to me very early
32:49
on. He has a deep commitment to uh trying to tackle diabetes in indigenous
32:56
communities. He sees that in his home province of Manitoba and he was instrumental in helping identify
33:03
and welcome its first ever indigenous board member and that's a milestone that Diabetes Canada is very proud of and and
33:10
something uh an advocacy area that Michael continues um to be involved in.
33:16
Um but the leadership went beyond the board and advocacy. Um he before he was
33:22
on the board he was corporate captain for a teamd marathon event uh at his company. He rallied support. He raised
33:29
funds. Um he also when he came off the board was serving on the fund development committee. He continues to
33:35
go to gallas and do lots of bidding on silent auctions and supporting. So, Michael, can I just say from me to you,
33:42
from Laura to Michael, your passion, your leadership, and your unwavering support of Diabetes Canada and of me
33:49
have made such a lasting difference. I really hope you know you've left your thumbrint on this organization and
33:55
you've really made an impact on people who live with diabetes and that includes me. So, over to you, Michael.
34:05
Well, thank you, Laura. Um, I'm very appreciative and humbled by the recognition and this truly is a full
34:11
circle moment for me. Deb and and myself were formally introduced to Diabetes
34:17
Canada when uh on behalf of the Northwest Company, we received the corporate citizen of the year award in
34:23
2007. The reward was presented to me by two white glove mounties. And as person
34:28
of that was the most impactful thing that has stayed with Deb and I forever was the front two rows of that
34:35
auditorium were filled with wheelchair amputees from the terrible impact of
34:40
diabetes. Given that impression we then decided we needed to do something commit
34:47
ourselves. So we ran three marathons. I was I was recognized as the worst father
34:52
vacation plan of the year when I told my three kids I adult kids I was taking them to Florida for a vacation and they
34:58
all said yes. Then found out they had to run either a marathon or a half marathon to get the free ticket to to Florida.
35:05
Having said this, it was truly a full circle moment because two of my children maybe three of them are on on on today
35:12
and some of our my grandchildren. I hope I instill in them this spirit of giving back to the community where you can and
35:19
and when you can and however you can, whether it's running or or being on a board or volunteering in a DAMP. And
35:25
I've got to give a genuine appreciation. You know, you sit on the board and everything trickles up. The amazing work
35:32
by our volunteers and DAMPS and advocacy and research and and and their
35:37
commitment through their medical profession is is unbelievable. and and to sit on a board and hear the impact of
35:44
all of you other national volunteers of the year award is just phenomenal. Truly
35:49
a full circle moment for me to to have this this this recognition as a national
35:55
volunteer of the year with a with a group that I consider uh beyond my uh
36:00
contribution and and and peers that I have great respect for. Just thank you
36:05
so much Laura for the recognition and the kind words and uh so glad that uh I
36:10
was uh deemed good enough to serve in some capacity for Diabetes Canada. Thank you.
36:18
Thank you, Michael. Um Joan here on behalf of the advocacy team too.
36:23
Congratulations. Um uh we certainly have used you to your to to in your capacity
36:31
as an advocate in Manitoba. So, thank you so much for that. So, hello everyone. Um, my name is Joan King and
36:38
I'm the director of government affairs and advocacy. I have the distinct
36:43
privilege of presenting the National Advocacy Leadership Award. This award is
36:49
given to a health care professional or grassroots advocate um volunteer or an
36:55
advocacy group who has demonstrated exemplary leadership, commitment and
37:01
dedication in advancing public policy in the interests of people living with
37:06
diabetes. We are delighted to present this year's award to our Jeremy Storing. Jeremy has
37:14
been a volunteer member of our advocacy team since 2020. He has worked with us
37:20
every step of the way to advocate to the government of Saskatchewan to implement the framework for diabetes in Canada and
37:27
to expand access to CGMs. I fondly recall his first CGM
37:33
demonstration to senior health to senior health policy staff to help educate on
37:39
the benefits of CGM technology. Since then, we are pleased that Saskatchewan
37:44
has indeed improved access to CGMs in 2024.
37:49
Jeremy also mentors and helps to train other volunteer advocates. He is an
37:55
all-around enthusiastic volunteer who does not shy away from opportunities to
38:01
speak up on behalf of people with living with diabetes, including with media or
38:06
in meetings with elected officials and with cabinet ministers. So, thank you,
38:11
Jeremy, from the bottom of my heart for all of your camaraderie and and all that you bring to us and share with us. And
38:19
congratulations and over to you, please, to share a few words with us.
38:25
Thank you so much, Joan. I'm incredibly honored to be receiving this award today. Uh, I want to thank my family and
38:32
friends who have supported me uh with both my own diabetes and volunteering
38:37
and being the best advocate that I could be. And I want to thank you, Joan, as well for being uh the best support
38:44
system and always including me to advocate in Saskatchewan. Uh as well as
38:49
the rest of the team at Diabetes Canada. Uh it's been a pleasure working with everyone and I'm proud to see the
38:56
progress that we've made so far and I'm really excited to continue advocating and bring more positive change to those
39:04
living with diabetes. Thank you so much, Jeremy. Um, it's
39:09
amazing and congratulations from me for all you're doing. It's uh uh you're really helping spur progress in
39:16
Saskatchewan. So, thank you. Um, I have the honor of introducing the next award which is the innovation award. And this
39:22
award goes to an individual who has found an innovative, creative or
39:28
efficient solution to further diabetes Canada vision and aspiration. And this year's recipient, I'm thrilled to say,
39:34
is Dr. David Campbell. Uh, Dr. Campbell is an esteemed researcher. He's a recent
39:40
grant recipient of one of our research grants. Through that, he created an amazing film and if you haven't seen it,
39:47
we we you you need to called Low Stories of Stigma. And not only is it a powerful
39:53
movie, but it's a knowledge mobilization tool. It's a movie about how one lives a
39:58
life of diabetes when you're unhoused, when you're experiencing homelessness. And um David has taken this research
40:06
product, this movie called Low and gone on to screen the screen the film across Canada at 40 events uh in five
40:14
provinces. Um and really this is about increasing local support, public support
40:19
of local shelters, but also really empowering the people, a training tool for people at the shelter about how to
40:25
better support their clients with diabetes. Um, it's also been included now in teaching curricular for medical
40:32
schools across the country, including at the University of Calgary where he is. Um, and so congratulations to Dr.
40:37
Campbell. He's not able to join us today, but there's a video. Of course, there is because he's a movie guy. Um,
40:44
that we're we're going to watch. Oh, he's here. I am also here, Laura.
40:50
I'm here. I'm here just for a few more moments. So, yeah. Okay. Good. Good. David, go for it. Thank you so much.
40:56
Thank you so much for this recognition. It's truly an honor to be here and to be recognized in this way. Uh and
41:01
especially to be recognized for the innovation of creating the film Low. Uh it's a a truly again a full circle
41:07
moment to be here uh receiving this award when Diabetes Canada is really who made this possible. Uh as you said
41:13
Laura, funding this work and every time I present the film, uh filmmakers and researchers and healthcare providers
41:19
alike are all astonished and say how the heck did you find somebody to fund this movie? And it's almost impossible to to
41:24
get organizations who are willing to do this. And the fact that Diabetes Canada was able to recognize that what I
41:30
presented and what I had proposed was research in its own right and had value and um worthy of receiving one of the uh
41:37
end diabetes awards is truly fantastic. So um and then to be able to premiere our film at the Diabetes Canada uh
41:44
conference with all of you and our community. uh it's just been so wellreceived by the diabetes community
41:49
and such a wonderful group of people who all do such great work and are all passionate about making the lives of people living with diabetes uh better
41:56
and easier in this country and that's I think why the film has re resonated so well uh and so truly it's an honor to be
42:02
here uh and really think that uh the success of the film uh truly reflects the passion that that we as a whole
42:08
community altogether have. So thank you very much for the recognition. Thank you David and thanks for being here. Very
42:14
much appreciated. Um, and now I have the honor of um, introducing the winner of
42:20
the Charles H. Best Award. This is a an award that recognizes a health care professional who's made a really
42:26
significant difference in improving the quality of life of the four million people who live with diabetes throughout
42:32
Canada. And uh, this year's recipient is Dr. Beiju Shaw. And uh, Dr. Dr. Basu
42:38
Shaw, if I read out all the role volunteer hats he has played for Diabetes Canada over his 16 years of
42:44
volunteering, but I'll just touch the highlights. He sat on the National Research Council, the NRC, which has
42:51
advanced all our research programs that funded people like David, uh, and had that kind of vision. He's also been
42:57
highly involved in our healthcare professional education and engagement portfolio. He's been an author of
43:03
clinical practice guideline chapters. He's been an extra um expert contributor. He's also served uh with
43:09
the Canadian Journal of Diabetes. Um outside of that, he's also made an impact with the South Asian community
43:15
and other high-risk populations to improve the quality of life of those living with diabetes in those
43:21
communities. He's helped foster a community of people with lived experience that Diabetes Canada can work
43:26
with in consultation so we can better select and support high impact research projects. So, thank you so much for all
43:34
you've done, Dr. Shaw, for us. And I would love to turn it over to you.
43:40
Thanks, Laura, for those kind words and and to uh Rachel and others who
43:46
nominated me for this. I'm really genuinely very appreciative of getting this award. I I've been involved with
43:52
Diabetes Canada, as you say. It's actually I think I it's been probably more like 20 years that I've been Okay.
43:57
16 years on the NRC, but I think I was doing other stuff before that, too. So, it's it's it's uh I mean, but to me, it
44:03
was like it was almost like a given like it was just natural that this would be the organization that I would be working with and spending my time with because
44:10
it it's so closely aligned with the work that I do and the the both the clinical care and the research that I that I do
44:18
uh really is uh part of the mission of Diabetes Canada as well. So, it it really it was a natural fit for me to be
44:24
involved. Now that I've stepped off the NRC after all this time, I'm going to have to find something new. So, you know, let me know what comes up. Don't
44:30
worry. Don't worry. We'll we'll find something. I I like I still feel like I I you know, I feel at home at Diabetes
44:37
Canada. Some of you who've been around long enough will remember when my face was in a giant poster in the office on
44:43
University Avenue. So, yeah, it really it does feel like home there. So, uh so I I thank you again for this award and
44:49
and look forward to continuing to work with you all. Thank you, Beiju.
44:55
And now I think it's over to Heather. Yes. So, thank you, Laura. Hi, everyone.
45:02
I'm Heather Hilker. I'm the executive director of People and Culture. And congratulations again to all of our
45:09
volunteers for your impact and your contributions. You know, when we talk about workforce at Diabetes Canada, you
45:16
are an integral part of our workforce. There's only 130 staff that are working
45:21
hard every day, but over the 500 volunteers that help us every day, you're making a huge difference. and we
45:27
consider, you know, an integral part of our success and driving our mission forward. So, I just want to thank a few
45:34
people who helped pulled this event together today. So, we have our internal DC volunteer engagement committee and
45:41
our awards committee. Thank you to the DC staff who are presenting awards
45:46
today. Of course, all of our volunteer awards recipients. Thanks so much for
45:51
inspiring us with what you do. and everyone who took the time to nominate a
45:56
volunteer. It's so important to take time to share those stories, the impact that they have made. We appreciate it so
46:02
much. It's an integral part of the selection committee reviewing those. And thank you very much to Jeff Abraham, our
46:10
MC this evening and the individual behind orchestrating all the backend and
46:15
the technical issues. Thank you so much, Jeff, for all your hard work and pulling this together. And of course all of our
46:21
volunteers.
Hello and welcome to Diabetes Canada's National Volunteer Awards virtual event.
0:05
Uh so my name is Jeff Abraham and I'm the senior manager of volunteer engagement here. Uh thanks for joining
0:12
us that we get to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of all of our Diabetes Canada volunteers and this is just an
0:18
opportunity for us to celebrate and uh we're excited to acknowledge the dedication of all our volunteers this
0:24
year and this year's awards recipients. Um, they are going to be receiving an award in the mail very shortly. And I'd
0:32
like to just take a second just to show you that award. Let me see if I can take myself off here so you can see that.
0:41
There we go. So, this is what the award looks like. So, everybody will be receiving this with their name engraved
0:46
on the top, a nice diabetes Canada logo in the middle, and our diabetes blue on
0:52
the bottom. So, looking forward to sending all of that to you all. uh in
0:57
the next few days. All right. And uh we're going to start off with our land acknowledgement and want to just start
1:04
off with we come with respect for this land that we're on today that I'm on today in Toronto to Toronto which is a
1:09
traditional territory of many nations including the Missasagas of the Credit, the Anesnab, the Chipoa, the Hoden, and
1:16
the Wendette peoples and is now home to the many diverse first nations, Inuit and Matei people. Also acknowledge that
1:23
Toronto is covered by the dish with the one spoon wampham belt covenant and later treaty 13 side with the missagas
1:29
of the credit and the Williams treaty side with mult multiple missagas of the credit and chipoa bands. I want to take
1:35
a moment to acknowledge the importance of the lands in which we call home. We do this to reaffirm our commitment and
1:41
our responsibility in improving our relationships between nations and to improving our own understanding of local
1:47
indigenous peoples and their own cultures. I encourage us all to take time to learn about the traditional
1:53
lands on which we are on and the indigenous peoples who helped us steward the land and waterways for many
1:58
generations before we arrived as settlers here and how we will commit to care for these lands and history today
2:05
and for future generations. I'm going to now pass it over to a member of our senior leadership team at
2:11
Diabetes Canada, Tim Duza. He's the senior vice president of finance and operations to start us off.
2:19
Uh, great. Thanks. so much Jeff and good afternoon and welcome everyone. Uh as
2:24
you know we're here to celebrate our Diabetes Canada's dedicated volunteers,
2:31
people who generously give their time to uh the organization uh so that we can uh
2:38
work towards our vision of a world free from the effects of diabetes. All
2:44
volunteers play a very critical role um in helping us work towards that vision.
2:51
We're honoring those that were nominated uh for awards and the award recipients,
2:57
those that were selected uh to to receive a selection of these honors. The
3:03
award recipients were selected by the volunteer engagement committee with the support of diabetes candidate staff and
3:10
the senior leadership team. We received many nominations from across the country, making this year's selection uh
3:18
the whole process a really difficult one. So, thank you to everybody who took
3:24
the time uh to submit their nominations. Uh each ward uh award recipient, as Jeff
3:31
had mentioned, will receive their award shipped to their home. Uh in the case of
3:36
group uh a group efforts, group award, one award will be shared amongst the
3:42
group and one representative from that group um has been uh designated to
3:47
speak. We're thrilled to recognize this year's outstanding volunteers and celebrate
3:55
their invaluable contributions. I'd like to welcome Sonia Young, a
4:00
volunteer who serves as the chair of our board of directors. Thank you Sonia for
4:06
for being with us today. Uh this year we have five categories of
4:12
volunteer awards and a total of 13 individuals and groups being recognized.
4:19
The award categories are as follows. Uh the national young volunteer
4:26
uh of the year award and there's one recipient. a national volunteers of the year and
4:32
there are nine recipients in total. The National Advocacy Leadership Award and
4:38
there's one award recipient. The Innovation Award that has one award
4:44
recipient and the Charles H. Best Award that also has one award recipient.
4:52
So, with that, I'm going to introduce and pass things along uh to uh our
4:58
Diabetes Canada president and CEO, Laura Siren, for some opening remarks. Over to
5:04
you, Laura. Thanks, Tim, so much. And uh it's a true pleasure to join you all
5:10
here today. There are faces I am familiar with uh and there are some new folks that I'm thrilled to meet and be
5:16
able to celebrate with you. And just I really want to start by saluting all of you. uh who are just such incredible
5:23
Diabetes Canada's volunteers. Um I am not exaggerating when I say that
5:28
Diabetes Canada could literally not do our work without you. We could not do work without a vibrant community of
5:35
talented, passionate, and dedicated people like you. We just we couldn't. We're 130 staff and there's almost 500
5:42
of you and and the work just would not go on without you. So um thank you so
5:48
much. I'm just going to give a little sense of the kind of volunteers we use because it's really across the whole
5:53
organization. So, let's first talk about Damps, our diabetes camps. We could not
5:59
run our nine uh summer camps and our 12 family camp programs without a whole
6:05
range of volunteers. Thanks to their service, more than a thousand kids age 7
6:11
to 17 get to have an unforgettable summer camp experience. allows them to
6:16
build friendships and memories and really build confidence in living with diabetes. Another way volunteers help us
6:22
is through our advocacy efforts. And our advocacy volunteers, they raise their voices. They share their stories. They
6:29
go to provincial legislatores. They come to Ottawa. They've helped build incredible momentum this year uh with
6:36
provincial and federal leaders. And for example, because of those volunteers, they helped lead to the announcement of
6:42
four historic pharmarmacare agreements over the last six months in three provinces and one territory. We couldn't
6:48
have done it without our volunteers. Um, from our healthc care providers, and I
6:53
see a couple of you, I'm looking at Beiju Rachel on the call there. Um, we
6:59
released two new clinical practice guideline chapters this year that includes a new users guide, tools,
7:05
webinars, resources. All of those guidelines help improve the quality of life of people who live with diabetes.
7:11
Um, from our fundraising volunteers, there's lots on the line here too. Uh, they help raise funds and communities.
7:17
They might be at golf tournaments, our pumpkin fashion shows, gallas, hockey games, local events, initiatives, walk,
7:24
all those funds that go directly to support our mission and our life-changing life-saving research. And
7:30
that brings us to another set of volunteers um our research volunteers. And this year, you may not know, marks
7:37
our 50th anniversary of DC funding research, diabetes research in this country. And honestly, we couldn't have
7:43
achieved those 50 years without a great range of research volunteers. They not only sit on our national research
7:50
council, they do peer review, but a lot of them get out and support fundraising, get on their bikes, do the walks, all
7:56
that kind of stuff. So, thanks to them. We also have volunteers in Banting
8:01
House, the historic Banting House in London, Ontario that DC owns. Those volunteers led nearly 3,000 people on
8:09
tours of that place this year. And again, without volunteers, Banting House would not be what it is. So, as you can
8:16
see, we are not exaggerating when we say volunteers are the heartbeat of Diabetes Canada. And to each and every volunteer
8:23
on this call right now, thank you. Your dedication, your passion, your hard work
8:29
make it possible for us to continue pursuing the vision. And I think we all know we want to create a world free of
8:35
the effects of diabetes and everything you do helps us towards that vision.
8:41
So, thank you very much. I am thrilled to now turn it over. We're going to start actually celebrating some of those
8:47
volunteers. Um, and I it's my pleasure to turn it over to Matthew English for the National Young Volunteer Award.
8:55
Thank you so much, Laura. Uh, welcome, welcome. Thank you everyone for attending. Uh, hi, I'm Matt English. I
9:01
am the manager of digital fundraising here at DC and I have the pleasure of sharing the first award today which is
9:09
for the national young volunteer award. Now this award celebrates the invaluable
9:14
contributions of youth in advancing diabetes Canada's mission and goals. This award is designed to recognize
9:20
individuals up to 29 years old who have made significant contributions to Diabetes Canada and the award aims to
9:28
encourage and inspire continued engagement and commitment to our cause. This year I have the absolute pleasure I
9:35
am delighted to announce the award for National Young Volunteer goes to a very impressive young teenager Jessica Sher.
9:43
Give it up for Jessica Sher. Now, Jessica, let me tell you about uh it's an incredible story. Jessica has a
9:50
personal connection to diabetes. Her friend was diagnosed uh with diabetes and that's what led her to successfully
9:56
achieve two of her goals. One of which was to raise funds for Diabetes Canada and the other was to raise awareness
10:02
about DC's work in the community. During this process, Jessica walked over 366
10:08
kilometers to symbolize one kilometer for every day in the year 2024. Uh she
10:14
surpassed her initial fundraising goal for Lace Up to End Diabetes, further surpassed her new fundraising goal,
10:21
raised a total of $13,000 uh 13200, sorry, over $13,000. Uh she
10:28
was a lace up ambassador, uh and she's been selected to represent Diabetes Canada at the International 10 kilometer
10:35
UK Wellness Walk London Bridge this year. Congratulations to a very uh
10:42
deserving winner of the National Young Volunteer Award, Jessica Sher.
10:47
Now, uh Jessica, appropriately enough, out in BC, it is still the early afternoon where Jessica lives. So,
10:53
Jessica is in school right now. So, uh but I do believe uh we will we will be sending her a trophy and she also shared
11:00
a short video for us that we can watch right now.
11:06
Hello, my name is Jessica Sher. I am 12 years old and last year I raised money
11:11
for Diabetes Canada in honor of my friend who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I want to thank her and her
11:18
family for all the support that they gave me. And I want to thank my sponsors, my family and friends for
11:24
helping me find the best in me and helping me figure out who I am. And I
11:29
just want to thank everyone who was there at my event and everyone who helped me raise my money. Thank you.
11:40
Thanks, Jessica. So, next up, we're going to be going through the next nine awards, which are for the National
11:46
Volunteers of the Year Award. These are either individuals or groups who have um
11:52
been able to share and gone above and beyond in supporting the work of DC. The National Volunteer of the Year has
11:58
outstanding dedication to DC or has an outstanding achievement. So to start
12:03
off, we're gonna have Lauren Linklater, uh, who's the senior manager of Damps to present the first award.
12:10
Thanks, Jeff. And hello, everyone. I am truly thrilled to congratulate Sierra
12:17
Stevens, also known as Lark at camp, uh, for being a National Volunteer of the
12:23
Year award recipient. Sierra's been volunteering with Diabetes Canada since
12:29
about 2016. Sierra, my math and years start to blur at camp to be honest, but
12:35
Sierra has been supporting our Damps program as a nurse and a certified diabetes educator at Camp Lion Maxwell
12:43
as well as Camp Angus family camp. However, she doesn't stop there. Sierra
12:49
is also a Halifax pump couture model supporting both on and off of the
12:54
runway. In 2024, Sierra took on a bigger leadership role and step forward in
13:01
supporting both the strategic planning and future planning at Damps to ensure
13:07
that 2025, this upcoming summer would be successful. This is including helping to
13:14
facilitate programming for parents and guardians at family camp, as well as looking at education and continued
13:21
support and empowerment for campers and families alike. She's a passionate and
13:28
enthusiastic lifelong learner and is always approachable, engaging for
13:33
everyone no matter where they are in their diabetes journey. On behalf of all
13:38
of us at Damp, Sierra, I would like to say thank you, Nurse Lark. I'm happy to
13:45
introduce Sierra and hand it over to her for a few words.
13:50
Thank you, Lauren. Uh it's always hard to follow you and uh but yes, I'm always
13:55
happy to say a little bit about myself. Uh I I always say that I'm a
14:00
self-proclaimed diabetes nerd and I think this is just another kind of proof of that to be recognized in this way
14:07
which I'm very happy about. Um, one of the big reasons I like to be involved in
14:12
volunteering with Diabetes Canada is because I think, you know, as corny as it may sound, I think my life's work is
14:19
really looking at changing the conversation when it comes to diabetes and what it truly means to live with
14:24
diabetes and helping to denounce and get rid of that stigma that people experience any type of diabetes that
14:32
they live with. Um, I've modeled, as you mentioned. I guess you already kind of gave a rundown of the things I do to
14:38
volunteer. So, I won't jump any more into that, but I'll just say that I
14:43
really considered this a very important and exciting part of my life to be involved in Diabetes Canada and the
14:50
community. There's really nothing like it and the way you feel after going home from events like pumpkur or d camps or
14:57
I've done a little bit of speaking on diabetes Canada connect and just leaves me feeling those good vibes. So thank
15:04
you. Thank you for recognizing me. It feels nice.
15:09
Thank you Sierra. And of course while I have the privilege of getting to see you
15:14
work your magic at Damps. It is truly inspiring how much you support us across
15:21
Diabetes Canada. We are truly going coast to coast here just like all things Damps and I am so
15:28
honored to be sharing the next recipient of the national volunteer year of sorry
15:36
year award uh which is Maya Bennett. So Maya has been involved with Damps also
15:43
for quite some time but in more recent years joined us as a nurse as part of
15:48
our Camp Cacamela medical team. It's no secret that postcoid was a challenging
15:54
period especially in the healthcare industry. During this sometimes
15:59
challenging time, Maya stepped up to the plate to not only support our DampMamps
16:04
program, but also worked hard to help find and recruit health care professionals to help with our Damps
16:11
programs. In 2024, Maya again stepped up uh in a more formal head nurse role to
16:19
help with some really important and critical transition and succession planning. MA has been instrumental in
16:26
helping us improve efficiency and operations at Camp Cacamela in recent
16:31
years, both on and off the island. I would like to point out uh and is always
16:38
thinking of how to ensure everyone is always having fun, whether that's
16:43
leading a camp song and putting on her camp counselor hat once again or
16:48
facilitating caregiver learning sessions at family camp. Congratulations, Maya.
16:53
over to you. Thanks, Lauren.
16:59
Really just hyping me up there. That's very kind of you. Um, I appreciate it. I
17:04
appreciate the recognition. It's more in the spotlight than I'm used to, but it's
17:10
definitely nice to see. Um, I have a long history with Damps. It's such a
17:17
unique and fun program that I get to be a part of. And you really do get to see
17:23
campers just build their confidence and independence and a whole community right in front of you. So of course there's no
17:31
question that the work I do is very much worth it. I I feel lucky I get to be a
17:37
part of DAPS and kind of stay part of the program. And I'll echo what many
17:42
people have said, but a huge thank you to everybody here. Um, I know the work
17:48
that we do at Damps and my own contributions would very much not be possible without everybody behind it.
17:55
So, thank you and I'm looking forward to hear about
18:00
everybody else this year. Thanks so much, Maya. Uh, and certainly
18:07
looking forward to seeing you in a few short weeks at camp. In fact, um, of
18:13
course, I am finally happy to be presenting the next national volunteer
18:20
of the year award, which goes to Jan Gloier.
18:26
Jan is or once joined us as part of Damps as a camp nurse uh and a longtime
18:33
program staff, but I wanted to celebrate and acknowledge her work with diabetes
18:40
Canada as a volunteer with the friends of camp. This is a DampS alumni group uh
18:46
where she has served as the co-chair for over a decade now. Uh this has been a
18:53
lot longer than most volunteer roles and certainly like I said her time with
18:59
Diabetes Canada in her volunteer roles and capacities certainly far exceeds
19:04
this. This uh time in this role has included a lot of administrative work to
19:10
help ensure that this group meets regularly, has proper governance and structure and is consistently working
19:18
towards a mission and vision that not only aligns with DAMPS but the rest of
19:23
Diabetes Canada as an organization as well looking to find where the needs are
19:29
in supporting and making sure that those needs are met as well. One thing that Jan was incredibly instrumental in was
19:36
the success of the Hir 50th anniversary celebration. That was a lot of moving
19:42
pieces. A two-year pause with COVID, but making sure that generations of campers,
19:48
staff, families, and health care professionals all had a chance to reconnect in a place in a space that
19:54
meant so much to them. Jan unfortunately is unable to join us tonight. uh but I
20:00
do wish to send a congratulations to her and Jan has sent along a message to uh
20:06
share with us as well. So I believe we will play that now.
20:12
I am honored to accept this award and would like to thank my parents for sending me to camp 60 years ago and camp
20:18
director Uncle Don Anderson who provided leadership for decades ensuring the wonderful experiences that so many have
20:25
shared. Investing time and energy with the friends of camp hir alumni group has
20:31
provided so much more in return than I have contributed. I am grateful to those who chose to acknowledge my
20:37
contributions to friends of camp hir and I will share the honor with all the dedicated alumni that help our wonderful
20:44
camp community thrive. Thank you.
20:51
Excellent. Thanks Jan. Um, hello everyone. Um, my name is Grant
20:58
Malman and I'm the curator at Banning House National Historic Site of Canada. Um, the birthplace of London, birthplace
21:05
of insulin in London, Ontario. I'm pleased to congratulate one of our standout volunteers to Shayla Gothther
21:12
for being a national volunteer of the year. Tayla is a standout vol weekend
21:18
volunteer and I really want to stress the importance of a weekend volunteer. busiest busiest day on most of the year
21:25
for us. And so it's a it's you can't say enough about what she does for us. She's contributed over 160 hours delivering
21:32
tours for our guests. She trains volunteers. She's also a supply volunteer. Uh in case a volunteer gets
21:40
called in to work, has an exam, Tasha is always there to answer an email or a call to help us out uh to cover those
21:49
weekend shifts. and she also comes in for special events. And one of the other neat things about Tasha is she also
21:54
offers our tours in French to our visitors who speak our other official language. Uh Tasha is on this weekend
22:01
and so she's saving her voice and she sent in a video for us. So we can play that now.
22:08
Hi, my name is Tasha and it is such an honor to receive the National Volunteer of the Year Award. Volunteering at
22:14
Banting House is such a treat and getting to meet people from all around the world who are deeply connected to diabetes and its history serves as a
22:20
wonderful reminder of why I'm doing this work. I'd like to thank everybody at Diabetes Canada, but particularly Terry
22:26
and Grant and all the wonderful volunteers at Banting House. They have all welcomed me in this space and continue to inspire me through their
22:32
work. I'd also like to thank all the visitors to the museum. I'm so happy to be part of this community. So, thank
22:37
you. There's just an example of what Tasha
22:43
can do for us. So, plan a visit to London this summer and perhaps you can get her for one of your tours. Uh, next
22:49
I'd like to recognize Finn Oxner as a recipient of our volunteer award. Finn
22:54
has contributed more than 60 hours of volunteer service here at Banning House and is one of only three secondary
23:01
school student volunteers we've had since 1993. Uh, so he's been a a wonderful addition
23:08
to our team. He too leads tours on the weekends, conducts conducts training for new volunteers. He too does uh sometimes
23:16
do tours in French. He's also a supply volunteer for the other volunteers when they can't make their shifts. He's
23:22
helped out with many special events. Uh he's a big help on World Diabetes Day reading one of our diab uh Dear Dr.
23:29
Banting letters a couple years. He's actually written his own. Uh he's passionate. Uh a big help. Uh this
23:36
winter I was away a lot and he kindly came in uh to help shovel as we had a
23:41
real winter in London this year and so he came in and cleared the path so our visitors and other volunteers could come
23:47
in. Uh Finn also in his last year of uh secondary school did a fundraiser to
23:53
help raise funds for diabetes Canada to support research. So congratulations Finn. Uh Finn is enjoying his gap year
24:00
and is on vacation and away but he did send in this video. So, if we could play that now.
24:07
Hello everyone. My name is Finn Oxner. I'm an 18-year-old volunteer at the Banting House National Historic Site in
24:12
Museum in London, Ontario. On behalf of my family and myself, I would like to thank the National Volunteer Awards
24:19
Committee at Diabetes Canada for selecting me for this award. I'm forever grateful and honored. Thank you.
24:30
Awesome. Thanks so much, Finn. Uh it's me again, Matt. I have the pleasure of introducing one more national volunteer
24:37
of the year award winner. Uh this next national volunteer uh national volunteer
24:43
of the year award uh actually goes to a group and that group is known as the seek motorcycle club of Canada. Seek
24:51
motorcycle club of Canada. Uh this amazing group has created significant awareness of uh diabetes in their
24:58
community and has also been a huge uh fundraising boost for Diabetes Canada. They've raised over $250,000
25:05
uh through their charity rides. In 2024, they raised $60,000
25:10
through the Cross Country ride for Cause which helps uh kids at our Damps that we
25:17
operate. Uh this uh ride that they operate initially started in Ontario. It is now expanded across the country in uh
25:24
seek motorcycle club chapters across the country. They've been able to raise significant awareness not just funds but
25:31
they also uh promote diabetes education and awareness particularly in the South
25:36
Asia South Asian and seek communities across Canada. This is actually the second time that the seek motorcycle
25:43
club are the national volunteer of the year award winners. Uh thank you so much for the continued amazing uh support and
25:50
for being champions in your community, for raising awareness of diabetes, for your fundraising, and for making a
25:56
difference. Congratulations. Um we uh unfortunately uh couldn't be able to uh
26:02
make a speech, but there are there are many I think there's over a hundred members of this motorcycle club across the country. Uh we will be definitely
26:09
mailing them their trophy, and we send you once again our congratulations and our thank you for your efforts.
26:19
Great. Thanks, Matthew. Hi everyone. My name is Candace Aqui and I'm a manager with the diabetes knowledge and
26:25
connection team here at DC. And next up, we'd like to recognize Azra Nadinem as
26:30
our next national volunteer of the year recipient. As Azra has been a virtual diabetes education program volunteer
26:37
guest facilitator with our team, it's a program that I manage. Um, and as
26:43
someone who is both registered nurse and a certified diabetes educator, she comes with a lot of wisdom and knowledge that
26:49
she's always looking to pass on to others and does it in a meaningful way to make complicated concepts simple.
26:56
She's also been instrumental in referring other volunteers to Diabetes Canada to help support our work. So,
27:04
congratulations Azra. As was said earlier, we cannot do this work without all of you. Over to you to share a few
27:10
words. Hi everybody. Thanks so much Candace and
27:16
thank you for the um National Volunteer um awards committee. I'm um both humbled and honored. Um diabetes is very close
27:23
to my heart. Um both as a diabetes educator um an emergency nurse. I see
27:29
people from all sorts of spectrums um that come with diabetes complications. I've uh volunteered um both as a
27:36
community diabetes educator um as an outpatient as well as as a emergency
27:42
nurse. So I see a whole u variety of people with lots of um um you know
27:48
issues and and I try my best to offer um all types of support that I can. Um it
27:54
is a journey. So I always like to um uh end off with a hope that you know wherever you are in your journey of
28:00
diabetes, you can always make changes. Um and I always try to instill confidence um and motivation in my
28:08
patients and um individuals that live with diabetes that you know you are
28:13
wherever you are. You don't compare your your diabetes with anybody else. um and knowledge is what instills um you know
28:21
that um motivation to continue on and bettering your health. Um thank you for the committee. I'm I'm very honored um
28:28
to be um recipient of this award. Thanks. Thanks so much Azra as hopefully all of
28:34
you can see the passion that comes through our volunteers. And it's my pleasure to introduce our next national
28:41
volunteer of the year award uh to Sandra Vaneri who is also a very passionate uh
28:46
guest volunteer facilitator of the virtual diabetes education program. Sandra has helped to share food and
28:52
knowledge strategies in a relatable way and personal way and she helps to empower people to make nourishing food
28:58
choices to maintain balanced blood sugar levels and fully enjoy the world of food. She's also volunteered at Damps as
29:06
a dietetic coordinator offering her expertise at Camp Hir. She's regularly
29:11
engaged in a personal personal life in learning more and sharing all the important information through her social
29:16
platforms to ensure people are engaged in learning. So again, congratulations
29:21
Sandra. We cannot do this without you. And over to you to share a few words.
29:27
Thank you Candace and thank you Diabetes Canada. It is honestly an honor. Um, I
29:32
never volunteer for any recognition. So, it's actually pretty sweet, pun intended, um, for, you know, us to be
29:39
able to be recognized. Um, and you're right, I actually really did fall in love with this organization and what
29:46
they do. Um, I started off as a nutrition student. Um, trying to just dabble and see and I literally fell in
29:53
love at camp. So it started kind of a journey where I've you know been so
29:59
thankful to be able to have different opportunities to volunteer and provide you know kind of my skills or my passion
30:05
or my tips and tricks and I've learned a lot along the way from everybody I have been in contact with at the
30:11
organization. So I can't speak I speak like the just the best about this
30:17
organization, the people that lead it um and even all the people that you guys
30:22
attract. It's just such a nice community to know that we're doing something and we're actually helping whether it's kids
30:29
and to be able to do national education to see, you know, be able to help people
30:34
to give accessibility as well and to support people um you know in their
30:39
health. So I am so grateful myself. So thank you very very much for just even
30:44
providing an opportunity for me to be super passionate and and help. But um it's been an amazing journey and it'll
30:51
still continue and I'm thankful that there's so many opportunities big and small um that we can be a part of um you
30:58
know your initiatives and and your vision. Thank you so much Sandra. Um and I I'll
31:06
take over the mantle from here. So it's Laura again and um I have the absolute
31:11
privilege of introducing our next national volunteer of the year award. Um, and that goes to Michael McMullen.
31:18
And um, I will actually first of all declare a bias that um, I'm just so
31:24
personally pleased to do this because I met Michael almost on my first day at the job here because Michael was a
31:29
member of the board of directors here and uh, when I came in was so instrumental in guiding me. So Michael
31:36
formally joined as a volunteer here at Diabetes Canada in 2018. So it's it's been a long run. He served as a member
31:43
of the Diabetes Canada board of directors for six years and uh was vice chair of the board for three of those.
31:50
But not only did he do that, we have a sister organization, National Diabetes Trust that raises a lot of money for us
31:57
and he also sat on that board for six years. So he was on two boards and in the NDT board he was the chair of the
32:03
board for three of those. So this is someone very very deeply uh steeped in our governance and our overall strategy
32:10
etc. as I said, a real guide to me as a new CEO here. Beyond that though, he has
32:17
been a tireous advocate for diabetes awareness, particularly in his home province of Manitoba. So, from the time
32:22
I got here, I always heard you can count on Michael to go to the Manitoba legislature and and really advocate for
32:30
us on whatever our issue of the day was. So he's really helped there shine a spotlight on many many diabetes issues
32:38
and he's always ensuring that education around diabetes and awareness remain front and center uh front and center.
32:44
One of the things for me in in nominating Michael for this was also something that he said to me very early
32:49
on. He has a deep commitment to uh trying to tackle diabetes in indigenous
32:56
communities. He sees that in his home province of Manitoba and he was instrumental in helping identify
33:03
and welcome its first ever indigenous board member and that's a milestone that Diabetes Canada is very proud of and and
33:10
something uh an advocacy area that Michael continues um to be involved in.
33:16
Um but the leadership went beyond the board and advocacy. Um he before he was
33:22
on the board he was corporate captain for a teamd marathon event uh at his company. He rallied support. He raised
33:29
funds. Um he also when he came off the board was serving on the fund development committee. He continues to
33:35
go to gallas and do lots of bidding on silent auctions and supporting. So, Michael, can I just say from me to you,
33:42
from Laura to Michael, your passion, your leadership, and your unwavering support of Diabetes Canada and of me
33:49
have made such a lasting difference. I really hope you know you've left your thumbrint on this organization and
33:55
you've really made an impact on people who live with diabetes and that includes me. So, over to you, Michael.
34:05
Well, thank you, Laura. Um, I'm very appreciative and humbled by the recognition and this truly is a full
34:11
circle moment for me. Deb and and myself were formally introduced to Diabetes
34:17
Canada when uh on behalf of the Northwest Company, we received the corporate citizen of the year award in
34:23
2007. The reward was presented to me by two white glove mounties. And as person
34:28
of that was the most impactful thing that has stayed with Deb and I forever was the front two rows of that
34:35
auditorium were filled with wheelchair amputees from the terrible impact of
34:40
diabetes. Given that impression we then decided we needed to do something commit
34:47
ourselves. So we ran three marathons. I was I was recognized as the worst father
34:52
vacation plan of the year when I told my three kids I adult kids I was taking them to Florida for a vacation and they
34:58
all said yes. Then found out they had to run either a marathon or a half marathon to get the free ticket to to Florida.
35:05
Having said this, it was truly a full circle moment because two of my children maybe three of them are on on on today
35:12
and some of our my grandchildren. I hope I instill in them this spirit of giving back to the community where you can and
35:19
and when you can and however you can, whether it's running or or being on a board or volunteering in a DAMP. And
35:25
I've got to give a genuine appreciation. You know, you sit on the board and everything trickles up. The amazing work
35:32
by our volunteers and DAMPS and advocacy and research and and and their
35:37
commitment through their medical profession is is unbelievable. and and to sit on a board and hear the impact of
35:44
all of you other national volunteers of the year award is just phenomenal. Truly
35:49
a full circle moment for me to to have this this this recognition as a national
35:55
volunteer of the year with a with a group that I consider uh beyond my uh
36:00
contribution and and and peers that I have great respect for. Just thank you
36:05
so much Laura for the recognition and the kind words and uh so glad that uh I
36:10
was uh deemed good enough to serve in some capacity for Diabetes Canada. Thank you.
36:18
Thank you, Michael. Um Joan here on behalf of the advocacy team too.
36:23
Congratulations. Um uh we certainly have used you to your to to in your capacity
36:31
as an advocate in Manitoba. So, thank you so much for that. So, hello everyone. Um, my name is Joan King and
36:38
I'm the director of government affairs and advocacy. I have the distinct
36:43
privilege of presenting the National Advocacy Leadership Award. This award is
36:49
given to a health care professional or grassroots advocate um volunteer or an
36:55
advocacy group who has demonstrated exemplary leadership, commitment and
37:01
dedication in advancing public policy in the interests of people living with
37:06
diabetes. We are delighted to present this year's award to our Jeremy Storing. Jeremy has
37:14
been a volunteer member of our advocacy team since 2020. He has worked with us
37:20
every step of the way to advocate to the government of Saskatchewan to implement the framework for diabetes in Canada and
37:27
to expand access to CGMs. I fondly recall his first CGM
37:33
demonstration to senior health to senior health policy staff to help educate on
37:39
the benefits of CGM technology. Since then, we are pleased that Saskatchewan
37:44
has indeed improved access to CGMs in 2024.
37:49
Jeremy also mentors and helps to train other volunteer advocates. He is an
37:55
all-around enthusiastic volunteer who does not shy away from opportunities to
38:01
speak up on behalf of people with living with diabetes, including with media or
38:06
in meetings with elected officials and with cabinet ministers. So, thank you,
38:11
Jeremy, from the bottom of my heart for all of your camaraderie and and all that you bring to us and share with us. And
38:19
congratulations and over to you, please, to share a few words with us.
38:25
Thank you so much, Joan. I'm incredibly honored to be receiving this award today. Uh, I want to thank my family and
38:32
friends who have supported me uh with both my own diabetes and volunteering
38:37
and being the best advocate that I could be. And I want to thank you, Joan, as well for being uh the best support
38:44
system and always including me to advocate in Saskatchewan. Uh as well as
38:49
the rest of the team at Diabetes Canada. Uh it's been a pleasure working with everyone and I'm proud to see the
38:56
progress that we've made so far and I'm really excited to continue advocating and bring more positive change to those
39:04
living with diabetes. Thank you so much, Jeremy. Um, it's
39:09
amazing and congratulations from me for all you're doing. It's uh uh you're really helping spur progress in
39:16
Saskatchewan. So, thank you. Um, I have the honor of introducing the next award which is the innovation award. And this
39:22
award goes to an individual who has found an innovative, creative or
39:28
efficient solution to further diabetes Canada vision and aspiration. And this year's recipient, I'm thrilled to say,
39:34
is Dr. David Campbell. Uh, Dr. Campbell is an esteemed researcher. He's a recent
39:40
grant recipient of one of our research grants. Through that, he created an amazing film and if you haven't seen it,
39:47
we we you you need to called Low Stories of Stigma. And not only is it a powerful
39:53
movie, but it's a knowledge mobilization tool. It's a movie about how one lives a
39:58
life of diabetes when you're unhoused, when you're experiencing homelessness. And um David has taken this research
40:06
product, this movie called Low and gone on to screen the screen the film across Canada at 40 events uh in five
40:14
provinces. Um and really this is about increasing local support, public support
40:19
of local shelters, but also really empowering the people, a training tool for people at the shelter about how to
40:25
better support their clients with diabetes. Um, it's also been included now in teaching curricular for medical
40:32
schools across the country, including at the University of Calgary where he is. Um, and so congratulations to Dr.
40:37
Campbell. He's not able to join us today, but there's a video. Of course, there is because he's a movie guy. Um,
40:44
that we're we're going to watch. Oh, he's here. I am also here, Laura.
40:50
I'm here. I'm here just for a few more moments. So, yeah. Okay. Good. Good. David, go for it. Thank you so much.
40:56
Thank you so much for this recognition. It's truly an honor to be here and to be recognized in this way. Uh and
41:01
especially to be recognized for the innovation of creating the film Low. Uh it's a a truly again a full circle
41:07
moment to be here uh receiving this award when Diabetes Canada is really who made this possible. Uh as you said
41:13
Laura, funding this work and every time I present the film, uh filmmakers and researchers and healthcare providers
41:19
alike are all astonished and say how the heck did you find somebody to fund this movie? And it's almost impossible to to
41:24
get organizations who are willing to do this. And the fact that Diabetes Canada was able to recognize that what I
41:30
presented and what I had proposed was research in its own right and had value and um worthy of receiving one of the uh
41:37
end diabetes awards is truly fantastic. So um and then to be able to premiere our film at the Diabetes Canada uh
41:44
conference with all of you and our community. uh it's just been so wellreceived by the diabetes community
41:49
and such a wonderful group of people who all do such great work and are all passionate about making the lives of people living with diabetes uh better
41:56
and easier in this country and that's I think why the film has re resonated so well uh and so truly it's an honor to be
42:02
here uh and really think that uh the success of the film uh truly reflects the passion that that we as a whole
42:08
community altogether have. So thank you very much for the recognition. Thank you David and thanks for being here. Very
42:14
much appreciated. Um, and now I have the honor of um, introducing the winner of
42:20
the Charles H. Best Award. This is a an award that recognizes a health care professional who's made a really
42:26
significant difference in improving the quality of life of the four million people who live with diabetes throughout
42:32
Canada. And uh, this year's recipient is Dr. Beiju Shaw. And uh, Dr. Dr. Basu
42:38
Shaw, if I read out all the role volunteer hats he has played for Diabetes Canada over his 16 years of
42:44
volunteering, but I'll just touch the highlights. He sat on the National Research Council, the NRC, which has
42:51
advanced all our research programs that funded people like David, uh, and had that kind of vision. He's also been
42:57
highly involved in our healthcare professional education and engagement portfolio. He's been an author of
43:03
clinical practice guideline chapters. He's been an extra um expert contributor. He's also served uh with
43:09
the Canadian Journal of Diabetes. Um outside of that, he's also made an impact with the South Asian community
43:15
and other high-risk populations to improve the quality of life of those living with diabetes in those
43:21
communities. He's helped foster a community of people with lived experience that Diabetes Canada can work
43:26
with in consultation so we can better select and support high impact research projects. So, thank you so much for all
43:34
you've done, Dr. Shaw, for us. And I would love to turn it over to you.
43:40
Thanks, Laura, for those kind words and and to uh Rachel and others who
43:46
nominated me for this. I'm really genuinely very appreciative of getting this award. I I've been involved with
43:52
Diabetes Canada, as you say. It's actually I think I it's been probably more like 20 years that I've been Okay.
43:57
16 years on the NRC, but I think I was doing other stuff before that, too. So, it's it's it's uh I mean, but to me, it
44:03
was like it was almost like a given like it was just natural that this would be the organization that I would be working with and spending my time with because
44:10
it it's so closely aligned with the work that I do and the the both the clinical care and the research that I that I do
44:18
uh really is uh part of the mission of Diabetes Canada as well. So, it it really it was a natural fit for me to be
44:24
involved. Now that I've stepped off the NRC after all this time, I'm going to have to find something new. So, you know, let me know what comes up. Don't
44:30
worry. Don't worry. We'll we'll find something. I I like I still feel like I I you know, I feel at home at Diabetes
44:37
Canada. Some of you who've been around long enough will remember when my face was in a giant poster in the office on
44:43
University Avenue. So, yeah, it really it does feel like home there. So, uh so I I thank you again for this award and
44:49
and look forward to continuing to work with you all. Thank you, Beiju.
44:55
And now I think it's over to Heather. Yes. So, thank you, Laura. Hi, everyone.
45:02
I'm Heather Hilker. I'm the executive director of People and Culture. And congratulations again to all of our
45:09
volunteers for your impact and your contributions. You know, when we talk about workforce at Diabetes Canada, you
45:16
are an integral part of our workforce. There's only 130 staff that are working
45:21
hard every day, but over the 500 volunteers that help us every day, you're making a huge difference. and we
45:27
consider, you know, an integral part of our success and driving our mission forward. So, I just want to thank a few
45:34
people who helped pulled this event together today. So, we have our internal DC volunteer engagement committee and
45:41
our awards committee. Thank you to the DC staff who are presenting awards
45:46
today. Of course, all of our volunteer awards recipients. Thanks so much for
45:51
inspiring us with what you do. and everyone who took the time to nominate a
45:56
volunteer. It's so important to take time to share those stories, the impact that they have made. We appreciate it so
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much. It's an integral part of the selection committee reviewing those. And thank you very much to Jeff Abraham, our
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MC this evening and the individual behind orchestrating all the backend and
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the technical issues. Thank you so much, Jeff, for all your hard work and pulling this together. And of course all of our
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volunteers.