Prizes benefit more than just Citizen of the Year winners
ENTRIES for The Herald GM Citizen of the Year are piling up quickly as residents nominate unsung heroes from the Bay.
This year, winners will take home R60 000 worth of shopping vouchers as prizes.
Last year, everything from electricity and stationery to donations and dog beds were distributed to worthy causes by the 2015 winners and runners-up.
GMSA will again sponsor shopping vouchers worth R60 000 to be shared among the top finalists and overall winners.
The three finalists in the youth and open categories will each receive R5 000, while the overall winners in those categories will each receive R15 000 more.
Last year’s youth category winner Nadia Mila, 19, shared her winnings with the children who attend her creche and after-school homework club.
“I bought a fridge to keep frozen food for the kids, allowing me to feed more mouths for longer,” she said. “I also bought a television set to play educational videos, and put electricity and lights in the creche. Then I bought food and stationery with the change.”
Mila runs a creche to provide educational stimulation for children who would otherwise stay at home, and also helps older children with their homework.
Youth category runner-up Ryan Karshagen, 21, said he had donated half of his R5 000 vouchers to Malabar’s Imfundo Educare Centre to purchase non-perishable food items.
He then spoiled himself with a new suit as a well-deserved reward for his tireless work with needy educational institutions.
Animal Anti-Cruelty League chairman Glen Truscott, 64, last year’s open category runner-up, stayed true to form and spent his R5 000 on the animal organisation to which he has dedicated the past 33 years.
“Any type of donation is always helpful, but the R5 000 was a big boost for us. It was spent on dog food and collars, as well as material to make beds for all these animals,” Truscott said.
Open category winner Zodwa Dube, lauded for the Igazi Foundation’s Marrow Masakhane campaign – which seeks to attract more black bone marrow and stem cell donors – was not available for comment yesterday.
Now in its 27th year, The Herald GM Citizen of the Year seeks to honour those who make a positive contribution to uplifting the community, with the aim of building and maintaining projects that support the wellbeing of others.
Those wanting to nominate people they feel are making a tremendous contribution to society have until July 15.
Nomination forms are available in The Herald and Weekend Post newspapers, at www.heraldlive.co.za, the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, Kingfisher FM, NMMU north and south campus libraries, Postnet Greenacres, Walmer Park, Metlife Mall, Sunridge Village and Humerail, and GMSA’s Kempston Road offices.