Tom Henihan
Express Staff
@SmokyRiverExprs
The Ol’ Tyme Family Nite’s Christmas party held on Friday December 8 was also an awards presentation acknowledging the dedication of musicians and others who have contributed to the events decade-long success.
On behalf of Ol’ Tyme Family Nite, FCSS Community Development Coordinator, Jean Moore-Lemoine received the Award of Excellence at the FCSSAA Annual Conference in Edmonton on November 9.
Too acknowledge the collective effort responsible for earning that honour, Jean Moore-Lemoine had replicas of the award made to present to those who have played a vital role in everything the program has achieved.
“I have being doing programming for forty years and I can honestly say everyday that I am so grateful for this program,” says Moore-Lemoine said at the Ol’ Tyme Family Nite, Christmas party and presentation. “Our goal was to have people of all ages, all abilities and all cultures participate in something where they could feel that they were a part of a family and we’re doing that aren’t we guys.”
Musicians, Dwaine Isert, Elizabeth Isert, Nellie Montpellier, Gerry and Marie Dubois, Phil Dube, William Shaw, Raymond Rey and Allan Shybunia, received replicas of the Award of Excellence along with others who have made a vital, long-time contribution, Maggie Gervais, Cecille Marcoux and Lou and Pierrette Labbe.
William Shaw and Raymond Rey were unable to attend the presentation.
In a letter last September, notifying Moore-Lemoine that the Ol’ Tyme Family Nite program would receive the award, FCSS Association of Alberta President, Arnold Hanson said:
“This nomination clearly describes how Ol’ Tyme Family Nite helps strengthen the social fabric of your community. The spirit and dedication this project brings to strengthening the Smoky River Regional FCSS program and supporting residents to meet their needs is a wonderful example to be shared with FCSS programs across the province.”
Consistent with that spirit of cooperation, dedication and mutual support, Moore- Lemoine wanted to acknowledge the enduring cooperative approach central to the program’s success.
“I want to make a duplicate for each of the musician and Lou and Pierrette Labbe because they have been with us forever. Lou and Pierrette, they have been opening the hall every night for ten years. It is so nice to have that kind of volunteerism and that kind of loyalty for what we are doing,” she said when she received confirmation of the award in October.
Smoky River FCSS Director, Lynn Florence was also on stage at the December 8 Christmas party to present the awards.
The awards carry the inscription:
2017 FCSSAA Award of Excellence, Communities Less Than 20,000 Presented to Ol’ Tyme Family Nite, Smoky River FCSS.
