The call continues for Tauranga's local heroes

NOMINATIONS: Former Bay of Plenty Times Person of the Year winner Detective Sergeant Pete Blackwell. PHOTO/FILE

Community-minded people tend to fly under the radar but as Pete Blackwell knows, receiving recognition for their efforts is valued.

Mr Blackwell was selected as the Bay of Plenty Times' Person of the Year in 2011 by a panel of judges including Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby, Tauranga MP Simon Bridges and Bay of Plenty Times editor Scott Inglis, largely because of his role leading the Tauranga Police CIB Charitable Trust auction, which went out with a bang in its 20th year last month having raised more than $2.3million dollars.

"I'm behind the Bay of Plenty Times in this award for people in our community. Being a recipient, I was very appreciative of the support of people in the community to nominate and give me that support," Mr Blackwell said.

Bay of Plenty Times Person of the Year 2013 winner Deane O'Connor. Photo/file

He was on the panel for last year's Person of the Year award, won by policeman Deane O'Connor, the officer who saved Ashley Donkersley after the van he was in crashed off Maungatapu Bridge after a collision on August 12, 2013.

"I thoroughly enjoyed being on the panel. I was overwhelmed by the high-quality candidates nominated last year. It's amazing how many people we have who give their time in many different areas that benefit all sorts of different organisations to make our glorious Western Bay of Plenty a better place to live."

Mr Blackwell said he was "100 per cent behind" people nominating one of the many community-minded people who tended to fly under the radar.

"I strongly support people in our community to give some serious thought into taking their time to nominate the many, many people that give their time to all sorts of different organisations on a voluntary basis for the betterment of our community.

"Those people don't do it for the recognition, but having been a recipient, it has a lot of value for those people who do things for the benefit of other people."

People can find more information about how to nominate by clicking here.