A tradition of recognising those at the coalface of volunteer community work with Napier Pilot City Awards will come to an end with the last presentation ceremony in the Napier City Council chambers tomorrow.
The ceremony will recognise nine recipients, including a senior police officer and a community fitness workerwho, in his wayward teenage years, was sentenced to four years' jail for burglary, robbery and theft.
The policeman is Youth and Community team leader Senior Sergeant Dave Sutherland, who has recently accepted a role assisting the Maraenui Rugby and Sports Association with children's rugby, having been significantly involved with the sport in the community more than 20 years ago.
The fitness worker and former prison inmate is Shaun Rankin, who, having been through 15 schools in his younger days and generally struggled with dyslexia, has, since getting out of jail, completed sports and recreation studies at the EIT and now runs improved-health focused fitness classes across all age groups from a base at the sports club's Maraenui Park headquarters.
Other recipients are school and IHC home kaumatua Jack Thompson, Disability Information Service and Altrusa club co-founder and Napier Friendly Neighbours service volunteer Shirley Prince, social worker Christine Hemopo, community volunteer Sonny King, waka ama coaches and supporters Roni and Myka Nuku, and Restorative Justice worker Helen Nesbit.
The awards will be presented tomorrow by Mayor Bill Dalton in council chambers from 2pm.
More than 150 people have received the framed awards since they were instituted in the mid-1990s by the Napier Pilot City Trust. They have usually been awarded as part the trust's Unity Week, born out of a Taupo-Napier Unity Walk in 1990 and which has been held each year in the days before and including Anzac Day.
Organising spokesman Will Jenkins said while it was the last time the awards would be held, it was hoped another organisation would pick up the initiative to ensure the ongoing recognition of those helping improve the lives of some of the more needy areas of the community.
