Today at a ceremony held to open the Ottawa Festivals Pitchfest + Expo, Rosmarie Gerber from Music and Beyond was awarded with the Festival Volunteer of the Year Award presented by ScotiaMcLeod Ottawa and the Crawford Foss Group. Her substantial and tireless efforts as a year round volunteer were noted for their immense impact, as was her leadership which serves as inspiration to all volunteers at the festival.
Above: Rosmarie Gerber being presented with the 2015 Festival Volunteer of the Year Award presented by ScotiaMcLeod Ottawa and the Crawford Foss GroupHonourable mentions also go to the following four finalists for their committed volunteerism:
Ana Francisco, HOPE Volleyball and Summerfest;
Holmer Berthiaume, RBC Ottawa Bluesfest;
Renée Morin, Citifolk; and
Karen Humphries, RBC Bluesfest.
“This is an industry largely driven by the energy, passion and commitment of thousands of volunteers,” said Carol Anne Piccinin, Executive Director at Ottawa Festivals, “We are so pleased to partner with ScotiaMcLeod and The Crawford Foss Group to recognize these five finalists and to thank all volunteers who come forward to give back to our community. Their true impact is immeasurable.”
There are more than 12,000 volunteers contributing over 141,000 hours at festivals, special events and fairs in Canada’s Capital Region. To help volunteers connect with opportunities at festivals, Ottawa Festivals manages OttawaVolunteerLounge.ca, a volunteer engagement portal designed to respond to members’ needs and to address the issues of recruitment and retention in the festival industry. It facilitates the matching of volunteers with best suited opportunities, offers a centralized database for volunteer coordinators and an e-community for networking.
Ottawa Festivals is a not-for-profit organization that represents 100 not-for-profit festivals, special events and fairs that take place in Canada’s Capital Region. In partnership with the City of Ottawa and Employment Ontario, the organization manages a number of programs to develop and sustain the industry to contribute to positive benefits that impact the community.
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