Local sports personality honoured
A jet setting coach was given a volunteering award
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Rich Goulet, and Minister of Human Resources Diane Finley posed for a picture after the presentation for the inaugural Prime Minister’s Volunteering Award handed out Dec. 17. Goulet said meeting MP Randy Kamp at the politician’s Ottawa office was one of the many highlights of his time during the awards ceremony.
Photograph by: submitted , for the TIMES
It's been a busy week for Pitt Meadows Secondary's Rich Goulet.
First he was in Ottawa to receive a prestigious volunteering award and now he is soaking up the sun in Hawaii with the senior boys Marauders basketball team.
In Ottawa he was treated to a whirlwind of activities from meeting the other winners, to attending the presentation ceremony, to meeting with Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge-Mission MP Randy Kamp.
"The group of winners was as diverse as you can imagine, from little lonely me to BC Telus, as a big business donating employee time to soup kitchens in New Westminster and other places," he said.
Altogether there were 750 nominations across Canada.
"The amount of work was so large that a board of volunteer members was recruited by the PMO to do the nominations," Goulet explained.
The awards were supposed to be handed out in early 2012 but instead the board of volunteers spent the extra time sifting through the applications checking out the information and doing background checks. The number was reduced to 52 and finally to the 17 winners.
"I feel very proud to have won the Prime Minister's award for volunteering. I was the only teacher in a group of 17 who received awards and I was the only one involved in a sport activity," he added.
After the ceremony, Goulet and his guests met with Kamp in his Parliment Hill office.
"Wow, Randy's office is just above the legislature in the Main Block and was just seconds from where the ceremony was held. His office overlooks the main entrance and lawn in front of Parliament from the third floor," explained Goulet.
"Visiting with Randy and his staff was priceless and one of the highlights of the trip. Randy is a class act as our MP," he said.
After flying home, coaching a junior game, and heading back to the airport, Goulet boarded another plane - this time to Maui.
"I am in Hawaii with my basketball team. We are enjoying the sun, the beach, and as of now we have just had one practice on the outdoor courts at sunset. Just beautiful," wrote the coach in an email. "Weather here has been perfect. I hope it stays that way."
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Rich Goulet, and Minister of Human Resources Diane Finley posed for a picture after the presentation for the inaugural Prime Minister’s Volunteering Award handed out Dec. 17. Goulet said meeting MP Randy Kamp at the politician’s Ottawa office was one of the many highlights of his time during the awards ceremony.
Photograph by: submitted , for the TIMES
