Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medals handed out

Three long-time volunteers with Prince George Special Olympics knew Thursday would be a special night.

They didn’t know how special, though.

Ivy Whitfield, who was one of the founders of Special Olympics in Prince George in 1986, and Thom and Jacquie Ross, who have volunteered for 25 years, were honoured with the Queen Eleizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award.

The awards were presented by Cariboo-Prince George MP Dick Harris during a reception for the Dick Harris Charity Classic Golf Tournament, a fundraiser for Special Olympics in Prince George.

“Ivy Whitfield pioneered Special Olympics in Prince George in 1986,” Harris said in a press release, “and to this day she continues to help build the organization through her vision to help change the lives of many for the better.

“For 25 years, Jacquie and Thom Ross have provided a devoted service to this very special community,” he continued, “by fundraising, training coaches, and coordinating a multitude of other programs.”

As Harris addressed the crowd at the reception and thanked them for their continued support of the tournament and Special Olympics, he called on Whitfield and the Rosses to join him.

He then surprised all of them by announcing they were receiving the award, which consists of a medal, a certificate signed by Governor-General David Johnston, and a booklet listing all the recipients in the riding.

Then Harris let the crowd in on a little secret: All three of the recipients had known the awards were being given out – but none of them knew they were getting one.

“I had to get a letter recommending the Rosses and explaining why they deserved the award,” he said, “so I asked Ivy to write the letter.

“I also needed a letter for Ivy, so I asked the Rosses to write that one.”

Harris is conferring 30 awards in the region as a token of the Queen’s esteem for their services to their communities and to Canada.