Speaker’s ‘power of one’ tale moves volunteer awards crowd

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/04/2012 (5218 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dynamic speaker Michael Champagne, an Aboriginal Youth Opportunities organizer in his 20s, inspired a mixture of tears and smiles Tuesday night. He was speaking about “the power of one” at the 29th annual Volunteer Manitoba awards gala at the Convention Centre. In Champagne’s case, a teacher bought him a book when he was 10 years old, at a time when poverty and bullying had pushed him so low he wanted to die. She wrote inside the book, “Keep reading. I’m proud of you.” That one deed lifted him up enough he could go on living and make a success of his life.

Minutes later, Lt-Gov. Philip Lee quoted the Guess Who’s song Share the Land: “Have you been aware? You got brothers and sisters who care” before he gave out his Make a Difference awards to Rob Cox (Interlake), Isabella Dryden (Winnipeg), Jim Ludlam (Westman), Candace Maxymowich (Eastman), David Procter (Winnipeg) and Sally Thomas (Winnipeg).

To everyone’s delight, Arthur John Wheeler, 95, with 80 years of service in Treherne, picked up his award in person for the Central region.

Dozens more received awards from politiians plus business and community leaders. Gala guests learned 52 per cent of Manitobans volunteer an average of 142 hours a year — the highest rate of volunteerism in Canada.

— — —

TOGETHER WE STAND: Two Winnipeg contingents of Boston Marathon runners met for book end support/fun dinners before and after the race Monday where temperatures reached 32 C. They all finished, though some longed to quit.

The dinner gang included MTS Centre general manager Kevin Donnelly, Tec Voc High School English teacher Janet Kastellanos, vegetarian butcher (you heard me!) Jake Fehr, Manitoba Hydro’s David Cormie and Brent Czarnecki, University of Manitoba nursing professor Bill Diehl Jones, People First’s Stephanie Minuk, Collège Jeanne-Sauvé physical education teacher Chantal Denholm and triathlete Tim Turner. They met at Pizzeria in Boston to “carb load” Sunday night, running into scores of friendly Red Sox fans after the game at Fenway Park, who offered them noisy encouragement. They needed it.

Said Kastellanos: “It was a nightmare and people were throwing up all over the place.” More than 4,000 runners chose not to run, but of the 22,426 who did, 96 per cent finished.

Although it’s crazy to run through noon-hour heat — the race starts at 10 a.m. (Boston time) — longtime marathoner Donnelly says, “Because it’s the Boston Marathon, and it’s been going 116 years, they are never going to change anything. They bus you to a small town, take your clothes and say, ‘Your clothes are ready for you in downtown Boston and you’ll have to go there to collect them.’ “

— — —

HOLLYWOOD PAL TO HELP SHINGOOSE: “I’ve just been on the phone with our old friend Max Gail for half an hour,” said writer/producer Don Marks Wednesday night, speaking of TV star Wojo from the sitcom Barney Miller. “And he’s going to speak to Harrison Ford and Chad Boseman about signing Brooklyn Dodgers T-shirts and hats we can auction off at a benefit concert for Shingoose.”

The First Nations singer/songwriter, a.k.a. Curtis Jonnie, is in hospital recovering from a serious stroke. The benefit will be held May 24 at 8 p.m. at the Pyramid, with guest entertainers Eagle & Hawk, C-Weed, Don Burnstick, David St. Germain, Dustin Harder and Sherry St. Germain, Jesse Green and more.

Most people don’t know Gail has been deeply involved in the American Indian activist movement for decades. He became close with Marks and Shingoose in the 1970s and ’80s.

Now, in a movie going into production about the life of Jackie Robinson, who broke the Major League Baseball colour barrier, Gail is slated to play the part of Burt Shotton, the only manager calm enough to lead the Dodgers during the racist times during Robinson’s career. Ford plays Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey and Bozeman will star as Robinson.

Shingoose’s stroke affected his left side but he’s speaking well again and determined to make a full recovery.

“He’s a true warrior in that he sees this stroke as a opportunity to overcome obstacles and prove himself,” says Marks.

Tickets to the benefit are $10 and available at marksonthings@gmail.com or at 943-1644.

Got tips, events, sightings, unusual things going on? Call Maureen’s tip line at 474-1116, email Maureen.Scurfield@Winnipegfreepress.com or send mail to The Insider, c/o Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg R2X 3B6.