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Announcing the 2003/04 Making A Difference Award Winners
by Katherine Romain, Making A Difference Awards Chairperson
Every person who won a Making A Difference Award (MADA) this year has been a member and volunteer for 10 years. That, in itself, is amazing, but the level of dedication is also astounding. It is inspiring and uplifting to have so many dedicated volunteers associated with the Multiple Births Canada community. This is highlighted at every conference, but we had a different twist this year, with the addition of a passionate woman who does not actually have multiples herself, but is surrounded by them in her family and through her husband—a doctor who delivers multiples.
Every year at the Annual General Meeting and Conference, we honor those who go above and beyond to make a difference in their communities. This year, the Making A Difference Awards were held on Friday night, June 4th, 2004.
Thank you firstly to all who have helped me this year. Firstly, Darlene Nagy from the Newmarket chapter, who had to put up with my frantic e-mails and phone calls. Thank you for your patience, and for helping me realize early on in the process that this task was not as daunting as I first thought. Thank you to Nancy Young, also from Newmarket, and Lynn Stadler from Guelph for their input. And even though she was not on the committee, I need to take a moment to also thank Vicki Riley, who fielded many of my questions and was always cheerfully helpful.
Multiple Births Canada’s mission statement is to improve the quality of life for multiple-birth individuals and their families in Canada. The Making A Difference Awards were created in 1999 in memory of our founder, Sheryl McInnes, and they were established to acknowledge those individuals who exemplify this mission statement. Each award is presented to an individual at the local, national and international levels. All MBC members were called upon to nominate individuals deserving of this distinction. Thank you to everyone who sent in nominations. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage more nominations—I’d like to see the number double for next year. Come on—I challenge you to make me work! I know we have many wonderful volunteers out there who deserved to be nominated for their hard work.
This year, I broke with tradition and notified the nominees. I felt it was important that all nominees—not just award recipients—were made aware that someone recognized their contributions. I am honored to be part of an organization with so many amazing individuals who give up much of their precious time for many years to help the community at large, or just to lend an ear to a new mom who appreciated it.
And the winners are....
Lynda Haddon-International Category
Although Lynda received the MADA award in the National category in 2000, we now felt it only fitting to honor Lynda for her inexhaustible work in the multiple-birth community around the world. Lynda attended the International Society for Twin Studies congress in London, England in 2001, representing MBC (as an aside, Lynda paid for the trip herself). She is also hoping to attend the upcoming congress in July 2004 in Denmark. Lynda ensures MBC’s resources are available internationally, and has worked closely with numerous international colleagues in assisting them produce multiple-birth resources for their countries. Most recently, the development of a Loss Awareness kit in Australia was a direct result of reviewing MBC’s Bereavement Support Kit, along with the assistance of Lynda, MBC’s Loss Support Network Chair. MBC’s assistance with this kit has been acknowledged, and the Apex Australia Twin Loss Awareness Kit won a prestigious Australian award in 2003.
Lynda is a past president of MBC, and has been the Loss Support Network Chair for over 15 years. Lynda’s devotion and accomplishments do not stop there. In 2003, Lynda launched her very own information website, www.multiplebirthfamilies.com, which is dedicated to multiple-birth prenatal education and bereavement support. This website gives the world access to very important information on multiple-birth issues. As a key volunteer and a strong believer in MBC’s mission, Lynda continues to work closely with MBC’s Board of Directors, volunteers, chapters, members and colleagues to ensure MBC continues to move forward in its goals and mission.
What else does her nominator say? “What would we do without her?”
Congratulations Lynda and thank you for making a difference!
Lynda, unfortunately, has a busy schedule these days and was at her niece’s wedding in Toronto for the conference weekend. I asked her if she wanted to say a few words through me, were she to win in the international category:
Oh gosh - I feel humble, overwhelmed, amazed that someone thinks what I am doing holds such an honor (even a nomination is very exciting), when in truth, I am having the time of my life! I feel like a teacher, pioneer, and healthcare provider (gosh, that sounds like a Mom) when doing this work. Trying to catch someone’s attention who doesn’t have multiples is a huge challenge, which I love, and then writing to try and fill the support gaps so that new and expectant families don’t have to face the service gaps we did some 20 years ago gets my blood flowing. It is amazing to realize that having such a good time can equal such an honor. Lynda
Diane Myers - National Category
Diane has assisted and coordinated a variety of major MBC projects over the years. Diane was the project assistant for Mapping the Future for 18 months. When that was finished, she received an additional grant proposal, which took months of editing and obtaining approvals from MBC’s Board—no easy task. In April 2002, with Diane’s leadership, MBC, in partnership with the Perinatal Bereavement Society of Ontario, received funding from Volunteer Action Online to create an Orientation & Training web site including interactive forums. This project will assist in the training of volunteers within MBC as well as volunteers at the chapter level, which we saw unveiled at the conference.
In the Fall of 2003, through Diane’s hard work and dedication, VON Peel, in partnership with MBC, launched a new program called “Good Beginnings.” This is a volunteer-based program offering assistance to families of newborns who are feeling overwhelmed. This type of support is much needed in our multiple-birth community. In the words of one nominator, “it has been over 12 years since Diane became involved in the multiple-birth community in Canada—and we are all very fortunate that she did.”
Thank you for the honour of receiving the National Making A Difference Award this year. I am very proud to be part of the large group of dedicated people who all tirelessly work (and play) together to improve the lives of the multiple birth families in Canada. I would never be able to accomplish my work within MBC without the many people who always seem so eager to jump right in! Thank you all for assisting me and making me feel so much a part of the multiple birth movement in Canada. Warmest thanks, Diane
Deanna Corner - Local Category
Our winner in the local category is someone who has tirelessly volunteered her time for nearly a decade. She has held just about every executive position in her chapter, and has even created a few new ones—Duchess of Yahooiness being the most recent. From membership co-ordinator to President and currently past-president; from Head Elf at the Christmas party to now Webmistress, Deanna Corner of the Durham Region Chapter has done it all, and never hesitates to help whenever she can. She is mom to 13-year-old David, twins Samantha and Jake who are almost 10, and 2 ½ year old Travis. When most members’ twins turn the magic age of 5 and members begin to disappear from the scene, it is rare to have such dedication. Deanna makes a difference!
Winning an award for just having fun is a little embarrassing, overwhelming and humbling all at the same time. I’m certain there are many members in the various Chapters that do the same for their group as I do. Being a member for 10 years has given me plenty of opportunities to see the club from all angles, and I am proud to belong to such a special family of friends. Thank you for thinking of me. Deanna
Candi Cuppage - Runner Up, Local Category
Once again, for the third year in a row, the committee felt there was another candidate with exceptional long-term dedication to the multiple-birth community in her local area. This year’s runner-up for the local category is Candi Cuppage. Candi is a member of the Barrie Chapter and is the mother of 9-year-old triplets. Candi, too, has worn many hats from a number of executive positions to direct involvement in clothing sales, Christmas parties, etc. She is always on hand to lend a hand. In 1999, the Barrie Chapter, with Candi’s guidance, entered a float in the Barrie Santa Clause parade, which won first prize in the non-profit category. Her nominator said “Candi is the type of individual the MADA awards were meant to recognize.”
I am so honoured and thrilled to be acknowledged for my efforts. My emotions were already running high from the many moving speakers. Not only was the conference a memorable one, but the award was an extra bonus. I am proud of what I have accomplished in the world of multiples. Not only by having survived 9 years with the support from my co-members but also by giving back in anyway I could. I want to thank MBC for the thrill of being a part of such a wonderful, supportive and loving group that is greatly commited to the world of multiples. I continue to volunteer as the HOM new parent contact in Northern Ontario and my personal mission is to try to help expectant parents get much, much further along in their pregnancies than I did. I feel that I have succeeded in this many times over and I am so happy to see those precious little faces of the triplets that come into this world. Thank you, thank you thank you. Candi
Judy Pace - Special Award - Honourable Mention
We had several phenomenal nominations for individuals whose contributions come from outside of our membership. Because of her tireless efforts in connection with this conference, and its far-reaching effects on the national multiple-births community, we believe that Judy Pace should be recognized with an honourable mention in the national category.
Judy is no stranger to the uniqueness of multiples; although Judy is not a parent of multiples, she is the aunt of twins and a sister-in-law to twins, and she also works with her husband, Dr. Pace, who has delivered numerous sets of twins.
One nominator describes Judy as one of those “take charge” kind of women, the type that puts words into actions and gets the job done. She has not only helped to put Temiskaming Multiple Births on the map, she has also been instrumental in giving Multiple Births Canada the recognition that it deserves.
According to another nominator whose words are both progressive and insightful, Judy is a role model, in that she is the future of MBC. Our organization needs the energy of non-parents of twins. As we become all encompassing, welcoming any individual with an interest in our mission goals, we will begin to grow, and with growth will come the opportunity to offer many new services.
Judy has been instrumental in raising awareness of multiple-birth issues with all the public relations work surrounding the conference in the north. Her efforts include emceeing the media gathering regarding the sizeable grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. She also worked hard to promote the theme song for the weekend conference, “Come to the North”, with the hope of attracting not only parents of multiples but also educators, social workers and health professionals, in an attempt to provide the much-needed education about the uniqueness of raising multiples.
Judy was presented with a plaque to commemorate all her hard work and to thank her for her enthusiastic dedication, both for this conference and for bringing multiple-birth issues to the forefront in the national community and professional sector.
I was both surprised and honoured to receive the award from MBC. It was very touching to have my contribution acknowledged. But even more important was the opportunity to see so many happy faces at our conference and to have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful and fun loving families and especially moms of multiples over the past two years. The biggest reward of all was to work with so many wonderful people from Temiskaming Multiple Births and to have made some wonderful new friends. Again, thank you to one and all. Judy
Honourable Mention - Local Category went to Shelly Blizzard-Jones from the Durham Region Chapter.
I would like to congratulate everyone for their hard work and dedication. Please take a moment next year to nominate someone. We all have strengths, and together we can make a difference.
Once again, thank you to everyone—from the nominators to the nominees—and all those who make a difference. And a special thank you to the Temiskaming Chapter for all their hard work and making a difference to make the 2004 Conference so enjoyable and relaxing!
I look forward to seeing everyone next year!
Katherine Romain is the Vice President of Durham Region POMBA. Katherine
and her husband Rodney are the proud parents of 5 year old fraternal
twins Charlotte and Samantha and 3 year old James. The Romains reside
in Whitby, Ontario.
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