The National Volunteer of the Year Award is the culmination of the Volunteer Recognition Program. This award recognizes one individual selected from among our Volunteers of the Year for his/her outstanding achievements in the community and for upholding our PwC values. As a result of being named National Volunteer of the Year, PwC presents the recipient’s charity with a $10,000 award.
2007 National Volunteer of the Year
Morgan Elliot (centre), Edmonton, Alberta,
stands with PwC's CEO Chris Clark and ASCC executive director Mary Feather.
Edmonton, Alberta
Association for Supported Community Connections
Three years ago, Morgan Elliot and his family founded the Association for Supported Community Connections (ASCC) — an organization that gives kids with mental or physical disabilities the opportunity to get out and be active. The ASCC was established to honour the memory of Morgan’s older brother, who passed away as a result of Spina Bifida.
As a board member and treasurer, Morgan provides financial advice and assistance for numerous areas of the ASCC: he designs and maintains its accounting ledgers, prepares financial statements and government-required filings, compiles and monitors budgets and forecasts, and maintains the management of the treasury. He’s also active in organizing and managing fundraising activities and submits numerous applications for grants.
“Morgan’s personal drive and dedication has enabled ASCC to achieve excellence in all that we do,” says Mary Feather, executive director of ASCC. “Morgan’s commitment to the transparency and leadership of ASCC has been a leading factor in its success.”
Morgan’s efforts are helping ASCC improve the lives of even more children: in the last year, the organization grew from serving approximately 25 kids with disabilities to well over 70.
2006 National Volunteer of the Year
Scott Fitzsimmons
Vancouver, Bristish Columbia
Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver
Scott Fitzsimmons, a director in PwC’s Vancouver office, was named 2006 National Volunteer of Year for his 22 years of extraordinary volunteer service to Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver.
Scott began volunteering with Big Brothers in 1985 and mentored a Little Brother named Adam for over a decade. Ten years after becoming a Big Brother, Scott joined its board, and shortly thereafter became involved in the Public Relations committee. He now serves as Board Chair, and under his leadership, Big Brothers has nearly doubled the number of children served each year while simultaneously reducing its costs.
In addition to volunteering with Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver, Scott has also dedicated time and expertise while serving on the Boards of the Pot Luck Café Society, Big Brothers Foundation and the Downtown Youth Activities Society. This past year alone, Scott volunteered a total of 200 hours for these organizations.
2005 National Volunteer of the Year
Adam Barnard
Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario
Wilfred Laurier Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship (ACE) Program
Kitchener-Waterloo’s Adam Barnard was named PwC’s 2005 National Volunteer of Year for his work with the Wilfred Laurier Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship (ACE) Program. The program was given a $10,000 award in recognition of his outstanding volunteerism.
ACE is an organization that fosters entrepreneurship though educational outreach and entrepreneurial initiatives on campuses across Canada. Adam was one of the founders of the Wilfred Laurier ACE where he subsequently served as vice-president and president. During his five years of involvement with ACE, Adam has pioneered projects domestically and internationally to serve communities in need.
Among these projects was a home building program that Adam developed where less fortunate homeless Brazilian citizens were provided resources, taught how to build their homes and were provided the basic education and skills necessary to enter the workforce. In his current role, Adam guides university students in similar outreach endeavors to provide greater economic opportunity for themselves and others.
