LONDON, ONTARIO – The 14th annual Pillar Community Innovation Awards began with award winning DJ, host and community organizer, Zahra Habib who created a joyful and warm atmosphere through music that set the tone for the evening. Then Sam Whiteye, a facilitator and emerging leader from Delaware Nation, guided the audience through a Land Welcome while the audience watched a display of her own stunning landscape photography. Slam poet and author, Fauzia Agbonhin followed with a riveting, honest and provocative artistic performance of two of her poetry works, one supported by a video adaptation by the See Collective, an online community of creatives in London.
Every year, the highlight of the evening is the announcement of the award recipients in the categories of Innovation, Leadership, Impact, Collaboration and Community Choice. As the award finalists and recipients were announced, attendees heard the moving stories of their impact in community. Sharing these stories highlights the issues in our community and spotlights the voices that need to be heard. Hundreds of attendees congratulated the finalists virtually for boldly making a difference in our community during these turbulent times.
Michelle Baldwin, Executive Director at Pillar Nonprofit Network, expressed her hopes for how the program would impact attendees, saying: “While it is up to each of us to decide our role in shifting the broken systems that have brought us to this moment, I hope all of us here tonight walk away with renewed energy and focus to see what is possible.”
The Pillar Community Innovation Awards reminds us all that caring, bold and compassionate people are at the core of innovation and social change that is so needed at this time. Selected by a group of community volunteers, Pillar Nonprofit Network has the honour of announcing and presenting the 2020 Pillar Community Innovation Awards to the following award recipients:
Community Innovation: The Atrium Project
Community Leadership: Arielle Kayabaga
Community Impact: Dribbling Down Barriers
Community Collaboration: Free Rides for Essential Workers
Community Choice: Andrew’s Legacy
To learn more about each of the finalists click here and watch each of the finalist videos on YouTube.
Media Contact
Michelle Baldwin
Pillar Nonprofit Network
201 King St., London, ON, N6A 1C9
mbaldwin@pillarnonprofit.ca