The Portage la Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce Community Volunteer Awards were handed out Thursday.

The Citizen of the Year award was won by the Skating the Crescent Committee and was accepted by Christine and Jan Verway.

"Acknowledgment is always wonderful," says Christine. "We've had great feedback and great support from the community, so to be recognized by the community is also great as well."

Christine says the other four members of the group -- Luc Poulin, Terry Mulvey, Dave Oshust, Ed Thurston -- work incredibly hard, and also deserve to be recognized.

Other awards including Carol Stewart winning the Sports person of the Year, which she found surprising.

"I would say that most volunteers, we do our thing just because it's a worthy cause and we get ourselves behind it," says Stewart. "I'm very appreciative of the selection. I know there are lots of other people out there that do as much as I do for Portage la Prairie."

Micheline Berard was named Arts/Cultural Person of the Year and she was thrilled.

"If anything, it gives me more energy to keep whatever I have been doing, up," says Berard. "It makes me feel proud of what I've been doing in the last decade or so. It means a lot to me. It does. I feel quite blessed to be recognized for this."

Tee Tee Appah was named Youth Volunteer of the Year and says she was happy to just be nominated.

"I was very humbled, first of all, when I received the award," says Appah. "I was surprised, and I was very happy to be recognized for my efforts, but I was just very humbled and very thankful for the people that nominated me."

Two Interprovincial Association on Native Employment awards were handed out as well. Outstanding Contribution to the Community by an Indigenous Elder went to Darryl Taylor.

"To me, it means a lot, but I want to give this recognition to the people that I work with, and the children of our nation," says Taylor. "Not only the Dakota Nation, but all children."

Outstanding Contribution to the Community by an Indigenous Youth was given to Seth Prince.

"It means a lot to me. I've been working really hard, and I really want to make a difference for these kids. Every kid deserves a chance," says Prince. "Every kid."

The awards gala was held at the William Glesby Centre April 11th.