Winnipeg, MB - A flag is flying at City Hall today to recognize five everyday heroes chosen by the Winnipeg Blue Bomber Alumni.
Mayor Sam Katz and Bomber Alumni members honoured the five winners - a diverse group which includes a teenager, a mother of seven, and a Juno award winning entertainer.
“Heroes come from all walks of life, but they all have something in common,” said Mayor Katz. “They share what they love to do, ask for little in return, and, in the process, make the world a better place. Each of the winners of this award exemplifies that.”
The 2013 Manitoba Heroes are:
Owen Settee - a 14-year-old middle-school student who has been the driving force behind a number of food drives and fundraising campaigns to help the homeless in his hometown of Thompson, Manitoba.
Althea Guiboche - a single mother who is known affectionately as “the Bannock Lady” amongst the 400 people she feeds on a weekly basis on the streets of Winnipeg through her grassroots organization “Got Bannock?”
Ken Opaleke - the enthusiastic director of the West Broadway Youth Outreach, which provides after-school and summer programs to kids in a safe and encouraging environment.
Michael Champagne - a proud North Ender, public speaker, and the founder of AYO! Aboriginal Youth Opportunities, an organization that works to eliminate stereotypes and create opportunities for Aboriginal youth in Winnipeg.
Fred Penner - an award-winning children’s entertainer and humanitarian who works as a spokesperson for groups such as Canadian Down Syndrome Society, World Vision, and UNICEF.
On October 26, the group will be honoured at a gala dinner hosted by the Winnipeg Blue Bomber Alumni at the RBC Winnipeg Convention Centre. Proceeds from the dinner will support programs and initiatives at Siloam Mission, the Winnipeg Rifles, and the Blue Bomber Alumni Inc.
For more information on the Manitoba Heroes Awards and to see a full list of the nominees, please visit http://www.manitobaheroes.ca/