Winners of the 2013 Hamilton Community Awards Announced

· by Marily Butkovic

Jeff PaikinThe Hamilton Chamber of Commerce has announced Jeff Paikin as the Royal Bank of Canada Citizen of the Year, and Jackson Virgin as the Hamilton Spectator Youth Volunteer of the Year.  The winners were announced at an awards dinner held at LIUNA Station Tuesday evening, where Kent Austin, Ti-­Cat Head Coach and General Manager, was the guest speaker.  Jeff Paikin is the president of New Horizon homes and co-­‐owner of the Bulldogs.  Not only is he spearheading downtown development, but is also the driving force behind numerous charitable causes in the Hamilton community.  Among his many philanthropic efforts, Jeff is behind the B’nai Brith dinner, which has raised over a million dollars for organizations such as Shalom Village, the YMCA, Mohawk College, and many more.  Jeff has also contributed to the development of the Eva Rothwell  Resource Centre and the Larry Paikin Literacy Express.  Among the numerous organizations Jeff contributes to, he is an active participant and past chair of the Hamilton-­Halton Builders Association, a founding member of the TigerTown Council, and chair of the Transformation Campaign for Hillfield Strathallan College to name a few.  Nominated along with Jeff was Joey Coleman, Citizen Journalist, Goce Dimitriosoki of Volunteer365, Jean-Paul Gauthier of September Seventh Entertainment Limited, and Dr. Nathalie Xian Yi Yan of Yan Healthcare.

Jackson VirginJackson Virgin is a student at Westdale Secondary School.  He has devoted numerous volunteer hours to a variety of initiatives, including the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board’s Black History Committee and the Hamilton Youth Advisory Committee.  Jackson also has spent time volunteering with both Cable 14 and CFMU McMaster University Radio.  In addition, Jackson has devoted significant time to the International Holland Family Reunion, for which he received significant media coverage.  Jackson is also involved in countless initiatives at his school, including dance crew and the Warriors of Wellness group.

The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce would like to thank the Royal Bank of Canada, the Hamilton Spectator and the Hamilton Community Foundation for their continued support of this event.

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Media contact: Marie Nash, Creative Coordinator
m.nash@hamiltonchamber.ca
905-522-­1151, Ext.227