Calling all volunteers!
The City of Burnaby is seeking nominations for the Kushiro Cup and local hero awards to honour outstanding community service.
The city recognizes dedicated residents who help "make Burnaby a world-class community through volunteering" and have "volunteered a heroic amount of time in the community," according to a news release.
Volunteers can support local charities or community schools, coach a team sport or contribute to the arts, among other pursuits.
There are two categories of awards, the Kushiro Cup for Outstanding Citizen of the Year and Local Heroes.
The Kushiro Cup is awarded to one person per year for volunteering locally for at least a decade.
Burnaby resident Dennis Baker won the 2023 Kushiro Cup for his full-time volunteer work refurbishing bicycles and donating them to families in need.
Multiple awards are given annually for "Local Heroes" who have volunteered for at least five years through at least two volunteer activities.
Nominations can be submitted online.
The deadline to submit this year is Feb. 16.
The Kushiro Cup tradition began in 1982, when a delegation from Burnaby's sister city Kushiro, Japan, gave the cup to Burnaby, according to the city's website.
Kushiro awards a similar cup to its citizens, named the Burnaby Cup.
2023 Local Heroes:
- Wendy Beerling
- Lori Geosits
- Navjit Moore
- Joanne Morgan
- Tom Su
- Beverly Thacker
- Helen Wu
