CoryAnn Petryshen and Stuart Baker were presented the award on Dec. 3 at “We Care” pancake breakfast
BARRHEAD – Two workers at the Ripple Connection Support Centre in Barrhead were recognized on Dec. 3 with an award from the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities for their ongoing work at the centre.
CoryAnn Petryshen and Stuart Baker (who prefers to go by his middle name) were presented with the Marlin Styner Achievement Award at the Barrhead Senior’s Drop-in Centre during the “We Care” pancake breakfast, an event meant to showcase the various organizations and businesses providing services to local people with disabilities.
Both CoryAnn and Stuart said they were very happy to receive the award, with CoryAnn adding that she was “shocked” to receive it.
The Marlin Styner Achievement Award is named for a Red Deer man who, after suffering a severe spinal cord injury in a car crash, became an advocate for people with disabilities and a public speaker who gave presentations to tens of thousands of youth on behalf of the PARTY program. He was also a member of the Premier’s Council and numerous other organizations.
The award is normally presented to a single individual, but both CoryAnn and Stuart were nominated by their fellow staff members because they are both co-workers and a couple.
CoryAnn said she does janitorial work at the Ripple Connection while Stuart indicated he is kind of a general helper doing errands of all kinds.
He has been working at the centre since around 2014 while CoryAnn began working there around five to six years ago.
Stuart said he started going to the Ripple Connection as a client but “I decided I wanted to give back, so I started volunteering there,” adding that he also helps out at Family and Community Support Services (FCSS).
At breakfast, there was a livestream of award presentations being made that day by the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities.
One of the council members, Frank Hoebarth, said CoryAnn and Stuart were being awarded for helping to create a culture of inclusion and support in their local community.
“This couple is dedicated to enhancing the Barrhead community through service, participating in disability awareness groups and accessibility coalitions. They ensure to include newcomers and strangers to share in the bounty of resources in Barrhead, including the Food Bank, service provider offices, community club houses and advocate organizations.”
Another member of the council, Katie Suvanto, was also on hand to physically hand over the award to Stuart and CoryAnn.
Noting that she has a son with autism and resides in a small community, Suvanto indicated that the contribution of individuals like Stuart and CoryAnn was “so important.”
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