Huntingdon’s Betty Riel was one of 40 recipients this year of the Prix Hommage Bénévolat-Québec in honour of her exceptional dedication to volunteer work.
A total of 35 individuals and five organisations were presented with the renowned Tara sculpture, awarded each year to the laureates, by François Blais, the Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity, at a special ceremony on April 25.
Betty Riel has been working for her community for over 32 years, but it was in 2005 that she created The Betty Riel Foundation to raise funds to provide transportation for cancer patients to and from medical appointments and treatments. To date, Mrs. Riel and the exceptional team of volunteers who work with the Foundation have raised over $225,000 and have provided more than 3,200 trips for those battling cancer.
It was without hesitation that the Town of Huntingdon nominated Mrs. Riel for the honour, “given her incredible willingness to help, her enthusiasm and her dedication to those fighting an illness,” said Huntingdon Mayor, André Brunette, in a letter to the selection committee for the prestigious honour.
