While there are certainly plenty of locals deserving of the Trail-Warfield Citizen of the Year award - the cold reality is that COVID-19 has cancelled the annual tradition this year, and maybe even next.
With churches closed in Trail and most of the people who do the nominating year-after-year being seniors, the organizing committee from the Knights of Columbus decided they did not want to put anyone at-risk of infection.
“We are hoping to get back at it,” said Brian Volpatti, longtime organizer with the Knights. “But I don’t know how long this pandemic is going to go on, I don’t think anyone really knows.”
Volpatti said the committee discussed at-length what they would do before making the ultimate decision it was a no-go.
Given the Trail-Warfield Citizen of the Year event traditionally opens Silver City Days in May, this decision was made around the time that Trail council announced Silver City Days was indeed cancelled for a second year. (Planning for this event begins in November, long before festivities go for one week in May.)
“When we made this decision it was in December at the peak [spike in Covid cases] and right now, it doesn’t look like it’s going to change,” Volpatti said. “We are hoping to bring it back next year, but who knows. What can you do?”
Since Citizen of the Year began in 1957, there were only two years, 1976 and 1977, when a person was not awarded. Reasons for this are unknown.
Although the award won’t be given out this year, Volpatti encourages locals who have someone in mind, to give him the heads up for the coming year. The award isn’t specific to an age group. Moreover, nominations may be submitted by any resident of Trail or Warfield, or by an organization that serves at least one of the two municipalities.
Volpatti can be contacted via email at brian.mary@shaw.ca.
Read more: From children to seniors: A lifetime of advocacy
Read more: Seniors advocate named Trail-Warfield Citizen of the Year
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