News

The Kidney Foundation of Canada praised members of the kidney community across the country for their tremendous dedication, adaptability and resourcefulness in 2020 during its annual Volunteer and Staff Recognition Event on June 11. 

“This past year was extremely challenging due to COVID-19, yet our volunteers and staff forged ahead, working tirelessly to support kidney patients while employing novel ways to raise awareness and critical funds virtually on behalf of our organization,” said Sylvie Charbonneau, National President.

“These exemplary individuals are to be commended for their perseverance and devotion to our mission as they not only allowed the Foundation to sustain key services, but also to flourish during a period of great uncertainty,” said Elizabeth Myles, National Executive Director. “I am also incredibly proud of the commitment, innovation and caring demonstrated by our employees throughout this challenging time.”

The Kidney Foundation extends its sincere congratulations to the following individual volunteers, organizations and groups (listed alphabetically) for their remarkable efforts and contributions:

Teresa Atkinson – David Ornstein Distinguished Service Award: Teresa’s extraordinary volunteerism at the British Columbia and Yukon Branch over the years has seen her occupy key leadership roles that allowed her to successfully raise the profile of the Foundation and increase patient and stakeholder engagement.  

BC Renal Kidney Health Month Team (Charles Hoare, Gloria Freeborn, Jane Thomas, Stacey Richardson) – Public Awareness Award: The BC Renal Kidney Health Month Team’s partnership with the British Columbia and Yukon Branch on an online campaign aimed at high-risk populations for kidney disease effectively garnered provincial media coverage and public interest for our organization.

Jan Clemis – Mary Lou Karley Patient Services Award: Jan is a dedicated volunteer at the Southern Alberta Branch whose active involvement in the annual Kidney Walk and Kidney March procures vital funds to deliver patient services to those in need.  

Lucie Dumont – Organ Donation & Transplantation Award: Lucie is an impassioned advocate who has been instrumental in educating youth across Quebec about the importance of organ donation. 

Lori Harwood & Martha Horsburgh – Dr. John B. Dossetor Research Award: Lori and Martha have been instrumental in providing ongoing support and securing funding for The Kidney Foundation’s annual allied health competitions for many years.

Cristina Howorun – Public Awareness Award: Cristina is a Toronto broadcast journalist and a kidney transplant recipient who has been a tremendous voice for the Foundation by sharing her personal experiences to raise awareness of our programs and services. 

Inspiration Dinner Committee (Bob Nutbrown, Duane Lamont, Jason Lee, Colin Younker, Annie Boyle, Jane Plets, Tom Killorn) – National Fund Development Award: Prince Edward Island’s Inspiration Dinner Committee helped breathe new life into an annual Kidney Foundation initiative during the pandemic, which not only led to a substantial increase in revenue, but also to significant growth in corporate sponsorships.

Normand Lemieux – Special Appreciation Award: Normand is a retired nurse and a long-serving volunteer at The Kidney Foundation’s Quebec Branch who remains an influential voice on organ donation issues at the regional level.

Carmen Levandoski – Special Appreciation Award: Carmen is a nurse educator who collaborates with the Foundation’s Saskatchewan Branch; she travels great distances to urban, rural and Indigenous communities to screen at-risk populations.

Mattamy Homes – Special Appreciation Award: Mattamy Homes is an outstanding community partner who has served as a lead sponsor of the Foundation’ annual Kidney March in Calgary for the past five years.

Terry Tomkins – Harold W. Ashenmil Award: Terry is the national treasurer and chair of The Kidney Foundation’s Finance and Audit Committee who played a key role in creating a collaborative relationship with the Branches and in developing a new policy on how financial resources are shared across the organization.

Among staff recognition awards, this year included a surprise announcement whereby the employee team was presented with the annual President’s Award. President Sylvie Charbonneau expressed gratitude for staff members’ continued loyalty and collaborative work ethic, citing how their tremendous efforts helped the Foundation grow stronger as a national, united organization dedicated to ensuring a brighter future for kidney patients and their families.