A Cape Breton community came together this week to honour a special lady who has spent countless hours trying to better the lives of those around her.
Anne Sampson has been volunteering in River Bourgeois, N.S. for more than 25 years. Now, the community is showing their appreciation by naming the local seniors’ club after her.
“She is there 51 weeks of the year,” says Anne’s friend Sharon Chilvers.
Most of that time is spent organizing events for seniors.
Anne started a senior’s expo, despite having very little funding or volunteers. She says seeing the difference it was making in people's lives helped her carry on.
“As one gentleman was leaving on Sunday night, he looked at Anne and hugged her and said ‘I have not had this much fun since my wife died and I thank you,’” says Sharon.
More than 100 of Anne’s friends and family gathered Wednesday night to show her how much they appreciate the work that she has done. She was presented with a rose for each of the 20 community groups she volunteered with over the past quarter century.
“I think it takes people like her for the community to really benefit and have the activities that they actually have here,” says Wayne Bonna, with the Community Services Society.
A special portrait was hung on the wall at the community centre, a permanent reminder of what Anne has done for the area.
“She is somebody you can always count on,” says 4-H leader Eva Landry. “If there was a job to be done for organizing a program for Camp Rankin or something that had to do with the 4-H program in general, you always knew if you asked Anne to do it it would get done.”
The long-time volunteer is limited to the activities she's involved with now, after recently losing function in her arm. However, Anne says her time giving back to the community has enriched her life.
“I do it, more or less, for the feeling I get for helping others,” says Anne.
Congratulations to Anne Sampson, our Maritimer of the Week!
If you know someone deserving of our Maritimer of the Week award, we want to hear about it.
It doesn’t matter how old they are, the nature of the good deed they’ve done, or what part of the region they live in — we want your ideas!
Please send your nomination to:
maritimer@ctv.ca
or
Maritimer of the Week
P.O. Box 1653
Halifax, N.S.
B3J 2Z4
