Community Awards Presented

Community Awards Presented at the WRYM Charity Golf Tournament
Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM) presented two community awards on Sunday, September 29, at its WRYM Charity Golf Tournament at Sutton Creek Golf Club.

Photo – Dave Freeman of the WRYM Board (left) and WRYM Executive Director Greg Goulin (right) present Tom Marshall of Colautti Brothers (centre) with the WRYM Community Awareness Award.

​WRYM’s Community Awareness Award is its highest award to individuals or organizations who have demonstrated their awareness of WRYM’s programs and have greatly assisted with the provision of services to help homeless youth rebuild their lives. Past recipients have included Roth Mosey CPAs, The Windsor-Essex Criminal Lawyers Association, and Percy Hatfield MPP. Tom Marshall of Colautti Brothers Marble Tile and Carpet (1985) Inc. is this year’s recipient of the award.  He had heard that the linoleum tiles on the main floor of Windsor Residence for Young Men were sorely in need of replacement. He did a professional assessment, acquired new flooring specific to WRYM’s needs, and supplied two highly skilled tradespersons to install the new floor over three days at no charge. “The cost of replacing the flooring would otherwise have been $8,000 -10,000,” says WRYM’s volunteer Executive Director Greg Goulin.

Photo – Dave Freeman of the WRYM Board (left) and WRYM Executive Director Greg Goulin (right) present Joel Thibodeau of My Green Knight (centre) with the WRYM Community Awareness Award.

WRYM’s Heart & Soul Award is for exceptional individual volunteer effort above and beyond reasonable expectations. Joel Thibodeau is the owner of the local My Green Knight franchise which specializes in home maintenance. Every Saturday, he ran WRYM’s Kids Next Door program, a program in which young men are paid to perform home maintenance jobs for local homeowners. For more than a year, Thibodeau spent many weekday evenings inspecting potential jobs for suitability. “He taught young men workplace, tool and ladder safety – and he even rented tools and trailers at his own expense to make the experience meaningful,” says Greg Goulin. “Often, he referred his own customers to Kids Next Door, and would never take any payment for his efforts or costs incurred.”

The community awards were presented at the closing dinner of the WRYM Charity Golf Tournament held at Sutton Creek Golf Club. About 40 golfers braved wind and intermittent rain showers to show their support for the Windsor Residence for Young Men’s programs. Major sponsors were The Stephanie and Barry Zekelman Foundation (Platinum), Motor City Community Credit Union (Silver), Bhav Dulay - Coldwell Banker Essential Realty (Silver), and CK Ortho Inc. (Bronze).