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From left to right: Knud Petersen, Braydon Fix, Minister Aheer, Alicia Bjarnason, Penny Steffen, Maryanne Leathwaite, Madeleine (Maggie) Gervais (Photo courtesy of the Government of Alberta)
By Emily Keller
stars of alberta

Two Peace Region women among winners of Alberta volunteer awards

Dec 9, 2019 | 5:35 PM

Six Albertans were recognized at the 2019 Stars of Alberta volunteer awards in Edmonton on December 5th.

The event is held to coincide with International Volunteer Day, which was started by the United Nations General Assembly in 1985.

Two awards are given in the youth, adult and senior categories.

One of the adult winners for this year was Penny Steffen of Grimshaw.

Steffen has been a resident of the Peace Region for over 20 years.

She has been a Junior Curling and Little Rocks instructor at the Grimshaw Curling Club for 21 years and has been involved with the Terry Fox Run, MS Society Walk and Relay for Life as either an organizer or participant.

Maggie Gervais of McLennan won in the senior’s category.

Gervais has worked frequently with the Royal Purple, an organization supporting Canadian children and communities.

She is also the treasurer for the McLennan Leisure and Recreation Society, and a volunteer for the Northern Alberta Historical Railway Museum.

The Stars of Alberta Volunteer Awards program started in 2000 and since then, 127 volunteers have received an award.

A full list of recipients and their biographies can be found here.

by Emily Keller