On Thursday May 19th, a full house gathered to celebrate the seventh edition of The Rural Youth Gala in Sainte Barbe. This year, 49 nominations (the most to date) were made to recognize the exceptional contributions of youth aged six to 24 years in five categories—volunteer or citizen involvement, school or social perseverance, healthy living habits, cultural action and environment.
The evening’s grand winner was Jenny Régnier-Groleau; with a runner up honorable mention bestowed upon Samuel Beaulieu.
In between the presentation of awards, spectators enjoyed live performances of music and dance from local youngsters. The church was festively decorated with a “Royalty” theme, a follow up to last year’s much-appreciated theme: “The Oscars”. Committee organizing member Lianne Finnie says, “There aren’t many formal events for the youth in the Haut-Saint-Laurent, and we wanted to keep a classy feel; it’s a nice opportunity for the youth to experience.” This year’s organizing committee was comprised of members from Maison des Jeunes de Huntingdon, NFSB’s Community Learning Centers, Une Affaire de Famille, MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent, and the CISSS de la Montérégie-Ouest.
This annual event has played an important role in the community for recognizing youth achievements big and small and for helping young people to build confidence and self-esteem. “It has been an encouragement to continue to persevere, to create, to help, or to break through tough times,” Lianne explains. “For example, there was a young man who was nominated last year and it was his first time being invited on stage for recognition. His first time ever. It was a huge moment for him that shone a bright light on his efforts. He’s someone who has struggled with academics his entire life, and to finally be acknowledged for what he’s good at was a wonderful confidence booster.”
This year’s jury had a difficult time choosing from the many talented candidates. The winners in each category were as follows. Leanne Duncan, for Healthy Living Habits; Mary-Jane Lefort Breton, for Volunteering or Citizen involvement; Kristina Cullom & Angelina DeMarco, for Environmental contribution; Elizabeth Seguin, for Cultural Action; and Erika Leblanc won for School or Social Perseverance. The Youth Mentor of the year was Beverly Watson.
With its many supporting partners in the Upper Saint Lawrence, the Rural Youth Gala will surely continue to be an anticipated annual event. For more details and photos of the evening see: Gala Jeunesse Rurale / Rural Youth Gala on Facebook.
