Kensington native Darrell Cole receives Distinguished Service Award
A longtime journalist and minor sports supporter is the newest recipient of the Amherst, N.S. Rotary Club’s Distinguished Service Award.
Darrell Cole, a native of Kensington, P.E.I., was recognized by the club on Sept. 6.
Cole, studied journalism at Holland College in Charlottetown, following his graduation in 1990 from the University of Prince Edward Island.
After starting his journalism career in Newfoundland, Cole arrived in Amherst in 1992.
Awards committee chairman Morris Haugg said Cole’s membership in Rotary had “an unusual beginning” after being called into the office of then paper owner Earl Gouchie and told to go to a local law office to meet with Haugg about joining Rotary.
“Despite being ‘ordered’ to be a Rotarian, Darrell has been a dedicated Rotarian for 22 years,” Haugg said.
“The late Dwight Jones asked him to be club secretary without telling him that led to being president just two years later.”
While he’s a newspaper man and a Rotarian, Haugg said Cole is also a coach in minor sports, working with numerous hockey and baseball teams over more than 30 years, umpiring and serving on the executive in various positions of little league – including the position he presently holds, president.
He has also served as the playby-play voice of the Amherst Ramblers on local radio and presently broadcasts games on Hockey TV.
Cole was presented the President’s Award by Amherst Little League in 2003 and received the YMCA Peacemakers Award in 2015 as well as the Atlantic Newspapers Silver Quill Award for 25 years of service to newspapers in the Atlantic region in 2017.