Kelowna

It was a full house at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Centre Thursday morning as volunteers, businesses, and media gathered for the Canadian Western Bank-United Way Community Spirit Awards.

The energy level was high as attendees celebrated their contributions and the difference they made in the lives of this community’s most vulnerable residents over the course of 2009.

The Community Spirit Awards event is held each year to celebrate the success of the Central & South Okanagan/Similkameen’s campaign. This year the attendees were not disappointed as the largest campaign in local history was announced at $1,301,699.

The top campaign of the year was Costco Wholesale who nudged out the former heavy weight campaign of Gorman Bros. Lumber.

Gorman Bros., not to be outdone, threw out a challenge to Costco and all other businesses in the community to try and beat their employees at the Kelowna Flightcraft-United Way Plane Pull on April 23.

Several businesses took up the challenge including Costco, RBC and the City of Kelowna.

The Team Spirit award went to the City of Kelowna and the Quantum Leap Leadership Award went to UBC Okanagan.

Other awards included the First-Time Employee Campaign Award which went to the District of West Kelowna The Quantum Leap Participation Award, which went to PCL Constructors Westcoast and the Quantum Leap Giving Award which went to London Drugs (West Kelowna).

The United Way funds local non-profits and initiatives including programs for seniors, children, special needs, and those living in poverty.

All money raised in this community stays in this community to make the Central & South Okanagan/Similkameen a better place for all of its residents.