The Rotary Club of Orléans handed out their 2021 Youth Awards on April 11, along with four academic scholarships worth $500 each.
The scholarship recipients included Grade 12 Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School student Mashkura Tathoye and Grade 10 École second-aire Béatrice-Desloges student Emma Beehler. The other recipients were Aliya Karimjee and Maxime Malouf.
Tathoye volunteered with the Operation Ramsey Crisis relief team as an intake worker, creating hygiene packages for homeless youth of Operation Come Home, She was also instrumental in organizing mental health workshops for youth whose mental health has been impacted by COVID-19. As well, Masskura helped to keep electronic waste out of the landfill by collecting, recycling and distribute electronic equipment to local charities.
In addition to being an Honour Roll student at Béatrice-Desloges, Emma Beehler is a gifted musician whose instrument of choice is the alto sax. She is also a top achiever in regional cheerleading competitions.
Now in its sixth year, the Rotary Club of Orléans Youth Awards recognize young people who demonstrate outstanding leader-ship, courage, citizenship and community engagement while maintaining academic excellence.
The theme of this year’s awards was “COVID heroes”.
Due to the pandemic, the ceremony was held virtually via Zoom to maximize participation by family and friends of the students while respecting and maintaining provincial COVID-19 guidelines and safety protocols.
There were 12 recipients in all, each of whom received a certificate and trophy in the days following the virtual ceremony.
The awards were divided into five categor-ies: Citizenship, Commitment to Excellence, Leadership, Persistence and Resiliency.
The winners in each category are as follows:
Resilience
- Magann Baptiste
Commitment to Excellence
• Mashkura Tabassum Tahoye
• Aliya Karimjee
• Keshav Gosain
• Kavindi Cathurya Mahanoma
• Joshua Dore
Leadership
• Emma Beehler
Citizenship
• Muhammad Qureshi
• Austin Alexander
• Maxime Malouf
Perseverence
• Madison White
• Vincent Pelletier
The Rotary Club of Orléans Youth Awards are open to youth between the ages of 14-18 years from Orléans and the surrounding area. The young person must be nominated by video (2 minutes long) from someone who can attest to his or her character and is not a parent. (Ideally the nominations are done by a friend, teacher, Scout leader, coach, clergy, employer, etc.)
The COVID-19 edition of the awards presented an opportunity to recognize young people in the community who demonstrate outstanding strength of character during a challenging time.
TRIVIA NIGHT from 7:30 p.m. every Monday night at the Royal Oak Pub Orléans. Free to play. Prizes for the winning team! The Royal Oak Pub is located at 1981 St. Joseph Blvd. near Jeanne d’Arc. For more info visit 
SING-ALONG MUSIC NIGHT from 7:30 p.m. 9 p.m. at the Orléans Brewing Company, 4380 Innes Rd. next to the McDonalds. Sing along to hits from the '70s to today and enjoy themed nights like “80's One-Hit Wonders” or "Hairspray Rock Bands". It's all about fun, music, and community. Free to play.
TRIVIA NIGHT from 6:30 p.m. at the Stray Dog Brewing Company. Exercise your grey matter before it turns to mush over the holidays. Reservations are a must to secure your spot. Send your team name and number of people to info@straydogbrewing.ca. The Stray Dog Brewing Company is located at 501 Lacolle Way in the Taylor Creek Business Park.
ORLEANS FARMERS’ MARKET from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the parking lot at the Ray Friel Recreation Centre on Tenth Line Road with a variety of local vendors ready to showcase their freshest produce, handmade goods.
CUMBERLAND FARMERS’ MARKET from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the R.J. Kennedy Arena in Cumberland Village with a variety of local farmers and vendors ready to showcase their freshest produce, handmade goods, and unique finds! FREE ADMISSION
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