The Wallaceburg & District Chamber of Commerce held their 20th annual Business and Community Excellence Awards on Thursday, November 2, at the CBD Club in Wallaceburg.
Here is a list of the award winners:
– Agricultural Award: Serkka Farms
– Technology Award: Jennen Family Farm Market
– Environmental Award: Walpole Island Heritage Centre
– Business of the Year: Subway (Dave McCready)
– Entrepreneur of the Year: Aaron Hall
– Chip Gordon Community Builder Award: Bill Wolsing
– Community Inclusion Award: Star Janitorial
– Young Professional Award: Ashley Oughtred
– Volunteer of the Year: Karen Debergh
– Citizen of the Year: Gayle Stucke
– Wallaceburg BIA Award: Wallaceburg Fireworks Committee
– ChamberChoice Award: Krystal Gyuricza
Stucke, the former principal at Wallaceburg District Secondary School and the former Director of Education for the Lambton-Kent District School Board, told the Sydenham Current she was honoured by the recognition.
“It makes me feel very proud,” Stucke said.
“I’m happy to have had Wallaceburg my home to raise my children here, my husband and I had our careers here and be involved in the community. It’s really an honour.”
Stucke added: “Such strong nominees. This night was classy, it was meaningful, as you heard what people had done, but it was fun. The get this group of people together was really an honour to be a part of it.”
Gyuricza was the first ever recipient of the ChamberChoice Award, which was an award that was voted on by the community online.
The Wallaceburg resident spearheaded a birthday card campaign earlier this year for Hayden Foulon, who had been battling leukemia, and she also led to charge for the Murray Street and Reaume Avenue intersection protests.
“I’m pretty stoked right now,” Gyuricza told the Sydenham Current after the event.
“I’m very overwhelmed, my legs are shaking still,” she said.
“Everybody has come to my work and I don’t even know these people, and they are saying thank you, that they’re so proud of me. It has been really overwhelming, it’s nice. I’m speechless right now I guess.”
– Photo credit: Aaron Hall
