Citizen Awards put projects in public eye

WINNING the inaugural Citizen of the Year Award in 1989 helped Sister Ethel Normoyle forge new relationships among the Port Elizabeth community.

“I had a shock when I was made citizen of the year, as I had been in Port Elizabeth for a short time,” she said.

Normoyle, 72, moved to Port Elizabeth in 1988.

“It has been a wonderful experience to be a part of this. I have been so warmly welcomed by the Port Elizabeth public, and I treasure every single relationship I have made along the journey,” she said.

Normoyle was instrumental in establishing the Missionvale Care Centre, where she has worked for more than 25 years.

The Missionvale Care Centre has a resource centre, a clinic, and pre-primary and primary schools. It is home to about 500 orphans and vulnerable children.

“There are so many wonderful people in Port Elizabeth doing wonderful work,” Normoyle said.

“I can just speak of how I have been helped with the work done in Missionvale and getting the exposure that could not have been achieved had it not been for the competition.”

Now in its 27th year, The Herald GM Citizen of the Year Award recognises those who contribute positively to uplifting the community.

The competition was expanded last year with the addition of The Herald GM Youth Citizen of the Year Award.

Nadia Mila, 19, was the inaugural youth category winner for the Walmer Township non-profit organisation Little Stuart Play School that she runs.

The Herald readers may nominate worthy candidates from the publication’s readership area, which goes as far as Mossel Bay, Graaff-Reinet and East London.

Nominees must be identified for their outstanding role-model qualities as well as community upliftment work above and beyond their normal work.

With a total purse of R60 000 in shopping vouchers, the top three finalists in the open and youth categories will receive R5 000 each, with R15 000 for the overall winner of each category.

Open category nominees must be 24 or older, while youth category entrants must be between 15 and 23.

Nomination forms are available in The Herald and Weekend Post as well as at the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, Kingfisher FM, NMMU north and south campus libraries, Postnet branches at Greenacres, Walmer Park, Metlife, Sunridge and Humerail, and GMSA’s Kempston Road offices, while electronic entry forms are available on The Herald website: www.heraldlive.co.za and General Motors website.

Manual entry forms can be brought to The Herald, Newspaper House, 19 Baakens Street, or posted to: Private Bag X6071, Port Elizabeth 6000. Entries close on July 15. Finalists will be profiled in The Herald from August 15 to September 8.

Winners will be announced at a gala event to be held on October 28.