The citizen of the year is…
Shannon LeClair – Times Reporter
Every year the Drumheller Rotary Club nominates two people for the citizen of the year award. This year’s finalists were Heather Colberg and Rita Pallesen.
Heather Colberg puts a lot of time into the community, helping with the Salvation Army and raising food for the food bank. Once a year Colberg does a ‘stuff the bus’ campaign, where she gets the community to join her in stuffing two buses full of food for the food bank. She also does a door-to-door annual food drive in November.
Rita Pallesen is well known in the Dalum and Drumheller communities. Pallesen has been a volunteer at the Drumheller Health Centre for the past 17 years, helping with the continuing care patients.
Leo Jensen, a member of the rotary club nominated Pallesen for the citizen of the year award.
“She’s just so deserving of this award. She puts countless hours in and loves to do it,” said Jensen.
The Rotary Club used to work in conjunction with the town of Drumheller, but this year hosted their own awards night. Pallesen was one of the 2 finalists. Two people were also nominated for courteous employee awards.
“I guess someone felt that I had been volunteering quite a bit through-out the years. I’m in shock, I never expected anything like this, and I questioned it when he called to tell me,” said Pallesen.
She has been a member of the Dalum friendship club since 1976. It’s a local ladies club in Dallum which raises money for charities with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to the charity. The friendship club make quilts and nightgowns for the Community Crisis Society in Strathmore. She also spends a lot of time helping out the Dalum Lutheran Church, playing the organ.
“She is just unbelievable, she checks on everybody. If somebody is sick she’ s checking on them, asking them how they are doing, whether it’s an operation or they just aren’t feeling well. She is always just trying to cheer up people,” said Jensen. “The judges said it was a really hard decision,” said Jensen.
Colberg found out she had won the award on Saturday May 8.
“I was very grateful, but I think Rita should have gotten it. I’m honoured,” said Colberg.