Pickleball Ontario would not be successful as it is without its many, many volunteers. At this year’s Annual General Meeting, Pickleball Ontario Board recognized a few of these special people.
Builder: Recipient – Bill Gohn Bill was one of the original builders of pickleball in Ontario. They initiated a program(s) in their region (city) which has resulted in the rapid growth of pickleball. Their enthusiasm and positive energy has encouraged others to become involved in the development of the sport. They were a founder of a pickleball association in the province, which helped increase participation in the sport.
Bill has been part of the PO Board for 8 of the 9 years that PO has existed, functioning as either the financial administrator or treasurer. His financial and accounting knowledge have been valuable assets in the initial forming and ongoing operations of the association. He always greets any challenge or opportunity with a chuckle and a smile, even with the taxes…..
Others nominated and who receive honourable mention are: David Werry and Richard Sogawa, Suzanne Penner and Marilyn Strain, Linda Kawamoto, Jeff Morgan, and Audrey Fraser.
Official: Recipient – Karen Hill Karen has demonstrated a positive influence as a dedicated, skilled official, in refereeing pickleball at local, regional, or provincial tournaments. She is recognized by her peers as having given countless hours to improve the professionalism of pickleball as a qualified referee.
Karen was the first referee in Ontario to receive Certified Referee status. She actively conducts referee clinics across the province and at her home court. She functions as Head Referee at various tournaments on a regular basis. She is also on the Pickleball Canada Officiating committee that is developing and implementing the new Officiating program for Canada.
Community: Recipient – Suzanne Penner and Marilyn Strain, Dennis Carter. These individuals inspires others to actively participate in pickleball. They has given much of their time and effort to create or maintain programs in their community. Their leadership skills and positive inclusive attitude fosters a fun and enjoyable learning experience for all.
In Kenora, Suzanne Penner and Marilyn Strain have been growing pickleball locally since 2011. They have solicited funding from community sources as well as grants. Their efforts have led to the building of 8 new outdoor dedicated courts, along with a solid group of pickleball playing enthusiasts.
The Stouffville community has been very grateful for the contributions of Dennis Carter. Dennis has been growing the sport in Stouffville since 2011. He has grown the club to 245 members. He regularly offers ladder play, socials, instruction (using material that he has developed or fine tuned), and lobbies periodically with government for support and or resources to grow the sport in Stouffville.
Others nominated and who receive honourable mention are: David Werry and Richard Sogawa, Karen Hill, Jeff and Nancy Singleton.
Ambassador: Recipient – Merrie Lee This volunteer ambassador has been a positive influence and has greatly impacted the way that pickleball has grown in their community. This person has not only shown leadership but has also increased awareness and participation of pickleball in their region. They have acted as a liaison between the PAO and their own community.
Merrie had been a Pickleball pioneer since 2009, introduced and developed PB at Edithvale Community Centre and other Community Centres in Toronto and York Region, programs for school children in partnership with Pan Am and school boards, organized and ran tournaments at Pan Am and Cornell, held demonstration clinics for organizations such as Huawei, City of Markham. She was Membership Director for PCO, coordinated and organized North York OSGA for many years, participated in planning committees for PAO tournaments at Pan Am, referee clinics. Letters of support were received from various organizations: Pickleball Canada, Markham Pan Am Centre, Edithvale, and a multitude of Pickleball Ontario members.
This year’s Ambassador Award is presented to Merrie Lee (posthumously).
Merrie was a shining example of tireless volunteerism, specifically in the Ambassador role, and I am pleased to announce that from now on, this award shall be named the Merrie Lee Ambassador Award.
Merrie Lee Ambassador Award: Recipients – David Werry and Richard Sogawa: This year we would also like to recognize David Werry and Richard Sogawa by presenting them with the first Merrie Lee Ambassador award. David and Richard together have built the Pickering area pickleball community into a model example of recreational play. They setup and tape courts for play, send out email newsletters, provide instruction, run fun tournaments, are strong supporters of PO, and work to improve locations and options for players.