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Judy Reid accepts Citizen of the Year award before packed house

BY DAVE BURKET The VOICE Well over a hundred well-wishers and supporters turned out at Old Town Hall last Tuesday evening to celebrate Judy Reid as the Fonthill and District Kinsmen’s Citizen of the Year for 2017.
 

BY DAVE BURKET The VOICE

Well over a hundred well-wishers and supporters turned out at Old Town Hall last Tuesday evening to celebrate Judy Reid as the Fonthill and District Kinsmen’s Citizen of the Year for 2017.

The former educator and longtime community volunteer was on vacation in Myrtle Beach when she was informed of the honour in mid-February.

“I was reading through the email and I must have made some sort of sound,” she recalled later, startling her travelling companion.

Reid, who turned 74 while she was South Carolina, was well past the shock by Tuesday, warmly greeting the stream of attendees arriving at Old Town Hall on a chilly evening.

“Judy’s one-of-a-kind, everybody loves her,” said Ron Kore, Citizen of the Year for 2016. Eleven previous winners were on hand. This was the 20th year the award has been given.

“You always wonder once the selection process starts if you’ll get it right,” said Kin President Brian Iggulden. “In 20 years we have never missed. That’s a pretty good track record, and we look forward to 20 more.”

Reid with her award and congratulations from local, provincial, and federal offices. VOICE PHOTO

After the singing of the national anthem, led by Kin Vice President Brendan Young, and opening remarks by Iggulden, the MPP for Niagara West-Glanbrook, Sam Oosterhoff, rose to speak, apologizing for doing so earlier than scheduled.

“As some of you may have heard, there’s an election happening,” he said, drawing chuckles.

After praising Reid’s nearly half-century of service, Oosterhoff was off and dinner was on, serenaded by singer-songwriter Lindsay Mills. Her gentle interpretations of classic pop and rock tunes stood in welcome contrast to last year’s more raucous jazz-rock ensemble, or so seemed the consensus.

After dessert—pieces of cake featuring an edible image of Reid, donated by Fonthill Sobeys—speakers rose one by one to congratulate Reid and survey her accomplishments.

Linda Arbuckle represented MP for Niagara West-Glanbrook, Dean Allison, and current Deputy Mayor, Councillor Peter Papp, stood in for Mayor Dave Augustyn. Kin President Iggulden concluded the presentations, handing the podium over to Reid to accept her award.

Promising to keep it short, Reid began by generously thanking the evening’s dinner providers, Larry and Pat Bishop, for creating a delicious meal.

Speaking for 20 minutes or so, Reid acknowledged friends and family members who helped shape who she is, and touched on the many professional and volunteer roles she’s held over the decades. A condensed version of her remarks appears here.

As the evening ended, photographers asked that all 11 previous Citizens of the Year assemble for a group shot.

Later in the week, Reid said that she’d recently been considering “pulling back a little” in her volunteer work, but that being honoured by the Kinsmen “might just have reignited continuing, as I truly enjoy the work and the people I meet.”