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24 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday May 5, 2006 Women of the Year are survivors By Melanie Cummings SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Kimberley Robb, Joan Garside, Brenda Walsh and Irene Wedeles have woven their own silver lining into the dark clouds that have cast gloomy shadows into their lives. Such enduring wills to look beyond their tribulations is awardworthy in the view of The Women's Centre. Robb, 18, of Milton, is the first recipient of the Centre's Scholarship of Hope. Despite a bout with scarlet fever, and living with a thyroid condition and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, the E.C. Drury student is a clear leader. The athlete, academic and philanthropist intends to enroll in the education program at Brock University this fall. Garside, Walsh and Wedeles were named Halton's Women of the Year Tuesday night. They were chosen among a slate of 14 nominees at the ninth annual event held at Glen Abbey Golf Club. For each of these winners, higher education has been their emancipation. In her retirement years, Irene Wedeles, 80, has become a seniors advocate extraordinaire. Among myriad contributions to the Oakville community, Wedeles remains a volunteer with the local seniors advisory committee, and counsellor and board director for the Distress Centre. She retired from the Victorian Order of Nurses friendly visitor program, but still unofficially visits clients who have become pals. At age 14 in the midst of the Second World War, Nazi forces put a halt to Wedeles' school life. She fled to safety in England then Canada and despite the teenage setback went on to earn three university degrees and become a teacher. Multiple Sclerosis and divorce were but minor blips in Oakville's Brenda Walsh's life. Women Network. · Cathy Gerrow of Halton Hills Community Support and Information is also president of the Acton chapter of the Canadian Cancer Society. · Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Service volunteer and activist Joan Graham. · Youth advocate, Gillian Hurley, who through a Kerr Street communications firm has helped disadvantaged youth gain employment skills. · Longtime children's advocate Jill Snidal, who founded the Oakville Parent Child Centre in 1980. · Peer counselor and fundraiser for Breast Cancer Support Services Bev Jacobs. The history teacher also gives her time to Carpenter Hospice and Neighbourhood Watch. · Norma Marsh who, despite heart surgery, is a going concern at St. Simons Anglican Church in Burlington, the Red Cross, United Way, Salvation Army, Boy Scouts and Cancer Society. RON KUZYK / OAKVILLE BEAVER · A childhood rife with abuse in IT'S THEIR YEAR: Winners of 9th annual Halton Women of the Year Awards held recently at Glen Abbey Golf her native Romania has driven Club, were among 14 nominees. This year's winners included, from left, Brenda Walsh, Joan Garside, and Irene Wedeles. competitive swimmer and teacher turned information technology She moved to Ontario from United States. Becoming a counsellor was her professional, Anita Morrow into a Newfoundland in 1981 landing a It was a profession in which way of giving back all that she had one-woman fundraising dynamo job in a bank. she, unfortunately, had first-hand been given through this difficult for women's causes. The feeling that she was des- experience. One of Garside's three period of her life. · Sandy O'Reilly has had an tined to help people prompted the daughters died of cancer. She has shared her expertise indelible impact on Crime single mom to head back to high through creating a counseling Stoppers, Big Sisters and Tansley school then college. Walsh graduatgroup for women over 50 at The Woods. But her claim to volunteer ed with honours in the community Women's Centre. Through the fame comes from organizing the outreach support worker program. Mature Woman's Network she has local Run for the Cure breast canShe thrust herself into the Canada seen the positive impacts that can cer fundraiser, which raised Employment and Immigration be gained when women articulate $800,000 last year. Union and became an executive their feelings in a secure atmos· Sally Romanowski, whose member of the Oakville District phere. name has been synonymous with Labour Council focusing on The 11 other women nominat- Halton's Neighbourhood Watch women's issues in the workplace. ed are equally accomplished and and its multi-faceted crime pre"My son is my greatest accomgenerous. The list includes: vention and safety programs for plishment, my rock and greatest · Burlington Rotarian Viki years. teacher. I've learned that a positive Burnett has been the club's treasThe widespread community attitude can help a person through urer and charitable donations efforts of all these women is in any challenge," said Walsh. committee chair and organizes the keeping with the far-reaching Joan Garside went back to Giggles and Grub breast cancer mandate of The Women's Centre, school at age 50. She earned a fundraiser. which served 3,000 women over WINNER: Kimberley Robb won the Bachelor of Arts and then a · Public speaker and counsel- the past year through myriad selfScholarship of Hope Award at the Masters of Counselling in the lor Heidi Cowie of the Roaring help programs and workshops. Halton Women of the Year Awards. Lots of fun golf programs just for girls, age 7­18 Join the CN Future Links Oakville Girls Club Come to our Open House for information/registration When: Time: Location: Saturday, May 6th 10am - 2pm Canadian Golf Hall of Fame at Glen Abbey Golf Course Munn's United Church 1st Lobster Supper Saturday, June 3, 2006, 7pm Join us for an experience of delicious food and live entertainment of a traditional Maritime Lobster Supper. Limited number of tickets European Engineering Combined With Traditional Workmanship Free Tours of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame! Lots of programs to register for on-site.....cash or cheques only! r Lobster Dinner $55 r Steak Dinner $45 or office@munnsunited.com Limited number of Memberships available "Building on the Brightest Ideas Around Glass" 905-257-8434 Call 1.800.263.0009 ext. 388 for info Canada's Junior Golf Program 905.849.0266