OTTAWA, Feb. 22, 2016 /CNW/ - His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, will speak at the WE Day event at the Théâtre St-Denis, in Montréal, on February 23, 2016, at 12 p.m. He will talk about youth getting involved and volunteering in their community. The event will be streamed live online at http://www.weday.com/watch starting at 9 a.m. (EST).
"Last year, through WE Day, several thousands of young people in Quebec volunteered almost 100,000 hours and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for good causes," said His Excellency. "Those numbers tell me this generation is going to change the world and we must encourage them to continue."
Before His Excellency's appearance on stage, he will present the Governor General's Caring Canadian Award (CCA) to 10 inspiring youth who have made a difference through local and global volunteering. The recipients' names and citations are listed below.
About WE Day
WE Day is a movement of young people leading local and global change. It celebrates and inspires this generation's shift from me to we—towards acting with intention, leading with compassion and a belief in the power of community. WE Day is one of the world's largest registered non-profit initiatives on social media, with more than five million followers. This year alone, over 200 000 young people will come together in 14 stadium gatherings across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom to take part in this educational initiative. WE Day is connected to a year-long, free educational program, WE Schools, which provides educational resources and campaigns to help young people turn the day's inspiration into sustained action. For more information, visit www.we.org.
About the Caring Canadian Award
Created in 1995, the Governor General's Caring Canadian Award recognizes living Canadians and permanent residents who have made a significant, sustained, unpaid contribution to their community, in Canada or abroad. Often working behind the scenes, these individuals volunteer their time and efforts to help their fellow citizens. The award also brings to light the example set by volunteers, whose compassion and engagement are a part of our Canadian character. For more information or to nominate a deserving volunteer, visit caring.gg.ca.
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RECIPIENTS AND CITATIONS
Jordann Ades
Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec
A student at St. Thomas High School, Jordann Ades is always willing to lend a hand where it is needed. She has been a volunteer with Overture with the Arts for the past six years, helping out during events. She also gives of her time to the West Island Mission and the Centre d'hébergement et de soins de longue durée Vigi Pierrefonds.
Ricardo Alvarez
Laval, Quebec
A student at Collège Charlemagne, Ricardo Alvarez actively participates in student life, including the Semaine du bonheur and the Anti-Bullying and Violence Awareness Week at School, and is a member of Jeunes entraidants, a peer counselling group created in collaboration with Tel-jeunes. He also volunteers his time with Parlez-en pour sourire, a group that helps students struggling with issues often encountered in adolescence.
Daphné Beaudoin
Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Daphné Beaudoin attends Pensionnat du Saint-Nom-de-Marie and volunteers on many of its committees, including pastoral engagement, the world shop and the homophobia awareness committee; she is also involved with blood drives on behalf of Héma-Québec. In her community, she is a peer mentor with À la pointe du crayon, an educational support program that helps disadvantaged students in Pointe-Saint-Charles.
Pénélope Brisebois
Sainte-Julienne, Quebec
Collège Esther-Blondin student Pénélope Brisebois volunteers her time with such activities as the school's open house and visits to the Sainte-Julienne seniors' centre; she also helps organize fundraisers for the Club Optimiste Sainte-Julienne. While on a humanitarian trip to Peru, she took part in activities to support an orphanage, a seniors' centre and elementary schools, where she helped children with disabilities.
Laurianne Faubert
Saint-Jérôme, Quebec
Laurianne Faubert oversees Académie Lafontaine's blog, which is shared with parents and students; she also volunteers her time with the school's fair trade world shop and is a member of the school's Christmas hamper committee. Moreover, she is involved with the UNESCO Associated Schools Network, supporting the values of solidarity, respect for the environment and respect for others.
Sydney Gervais
Mont-Tremblant, Quebec
Sydney Gervais attends Sainte Agathe Academy and helps to raise awareness of the struggles of families and children both in her community and abroad. She volunteers for blood and food drives, and organizes bake sales and Rafiki bracelet sales to help support local families in need. She heads the drama club and is the leader of her school's Free The Children group.
Sophie Ménard
Hanmer, Ontario
Sophie Ménard is one of the pioneers of École secondaire Hanmer's OUICare group and remains one of its active members, inspiring students and adults to give back to their communities and the world by raising funds to benefit community and international charitable organizations. In addition, she is involved with the composting and recycling program at her school, one of the first schools to initiate such a program in partnership with the City of Greater Sudbury.
Tedario Rocco Speranza
Montréal, Quebec
Tedario Speranza attends Vincent Massey Collegiate where, last year, he led the We Create Change campaign to fundraise for a Free The Children Adopt a Village model. He started the Kids for Kids initiative at his school and reached out to community organizations to gather funds in support of the Year of Empowerment, through which goats are purchased for communities in rural China.
Adam Wolfe
Montréal, Quebec
A student at St. George's High School, Adam Wolfe has volunteered once a week for the past five years at the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Food Depot, where he helps prepare food hampers and serves meals to the needy. He also volunteers with MADA, an organization that fights poverty in the community, and with Underdog Club, a rescue organization that helps find homes for hard-to-place dogs. There, he looks after and plays with the dogs, and also introduces them to potential adoptive families.
Chloe Wong-Mersereau
Montréal, Quebec
Chloe Wong-Mersereau attends Collège Villa Maria where she is involved with the Villa in Action social justice club. She coordinates fundraising and awareness campaigns, and encourages others to reduce the use of plastic water bottles in the school. She also volunteers with River's Edge Community Kitchen and the Mile End Community Mission, and has spearheaded a youth volunteer section of the walk Weekend to End Women's Cancers.
SOURCE Governor General of Canada
Emily Keogh, Rideau Hall Press Office, 613-993-2569, 613-218-2299 (cell), [email protected]; Alison Clarke, Director, Public Relations and Publicity, WE Day, 416-706-3652, [email protected]
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