Volunteer Awards
Nominations for the Crohn’s and Colitis Volunteer Awards 2023 are now closed- thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination to recognize the invaluable efforts of volunteers!
Thank you to the Volunteer Awards 2023 Review Committee, made up of previous volunteer award recipients and Crohn’s and Colitis Canada staff, who are reviewing the nominations. An announcement of the 2023 awards recipients will take place in the fall at the GUTS Volunteer Conference and will be later shared on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can find more information about the previous recipients below.
The Unsung Hero Award

The Unsung Hero award is intended to highlight the achievements of individual Crohn’s and Colitis Canada volunteers and their contribution to the fulfillment of our mission. The award recognizes a volunteer who has made a substantial contribution to the work of the organization over time and may or may not have held any particular office or been previously recognized for their efforts.
Unsung Hero Award
Past recipients:
2022
- AB - Karen Gay
- BC - Hailey Kolenda
- MB - Caitlynn Danchuk
- NL - Beverly Swackhamer
- NB - Louise Levesque-Burley
- ON - Sarah Bouchard*
- QC - Edden Gitelman
- SK - Ryan Heistad
2021
- AB - Kate Latos
- BC - Matthew Sebastiani*
- MB - Michelle Johnson
- NL - Marion Ryan
- NS - Kim Rowley
- ON - Laura Shaver
- QC - Jennifer Loschiavo
- SK - Alesha Oborowsky
* Recipient of National Unsung Hero Award
Volunteer Team Excellence Award

The Volunteer Team Excellence Award is intended to recognize a group of volunteers (Chapters, Affiliates, committees or other Crohn’s and Colitis Canada volunteer groups) who demonstrate collaboration and innovation while reaching outstanding achievements in advancing our mission with particular emphasis on the impact made on improving the lives of children and adults affected by Crohn’s or colitis. The impact could be made in any area including, but not limited to, awareness, outreach, patient support, volunteer engagement and/or fundraising.
Team Excellence Award Recipients
Past recipients:
2022
- AB - Lethbridge Gusty Walk Committee*
2021
- MB - Canada Life Gut Busters
- NB - New Brunswick Gutsy Walk Committee*
- ON - Peel Chapter
- QC - Quebec City Chapter
* Recipient of National Team Excellence Award
Gutsiest Walk - Team Award

The Gutsiest Walk Award seeks to highlight a special combination of hard work, achievement and spirit by a Gutsy Walk committee. It is a mixture of achieving strong fundraising outcomes, along with a great team attitude, creativity in bringing the event to life and strong engagement of the local community through volunteerism, participation and donations.
Regional Gutsiest Walk Team Award Recipients
Past recipients:
2022
- ON - Hamilton Gutsy Walk Committee*
2021
- BC - Victoria Gutsy Walk Committee*
* Recipient of National Gutsiest Walk Award