The Gale-Walker Award 2024 Nominations are closed. Winners of the 2024 Gale-Walker Award will be announced on September 23rd.
The Gale-Walker Community Award is for individuals demonstrating community ownership, commitment and leadership that positively impacts their neighbourhood.
This award honors the legacy of Preston Heights Community Group board members and long-time residents of the Preston Neighbourhood, Michelle Walker and the late George Gale.
For more information contact us below:
The Gale-Walker awards celebrates our Preston community members taking ownership of the community and leading by example. Nominations are open to residents:
- of all ages
- have show inspiring impact, ownership, effort and passion for the difference they hope to have on the Preston/Preston Heights Neighbourhood
Save the date for September 23rd! Winners and nominees will be celebrated at our Annual General Meeting, awards and community dinner.
Congratulations to the winners of the 2023 Gale-Walker Award! Scroll below to read about the nominees and winners.
Bhoomi has several years of volunteering from a young age. In volunteering she has inspired peers to do the same. At school she is a member of our Student Activity Council and has been volunteering since grade five. Bhoomi has made a difference in our community by actively putting herself forward and being a face people want to see.
Bhoomi
2023 Gale-Walker Award WinnerMichelle is a kind and thoughtful woman who has raised 4 children mainly on her own. She is resilient and doesn’t give up when there are challenges. She encourages her children to be the best versions of themselves. She is a fast learner and a natural born leader. During the fall and winter months she organizes a fundraiser for those who are impacted by childhood cancer. During these months she works a full time job and also makes hundreds of pounds of brown sugar fudge that are sold to those all over the KW region. This nonprofit racks in hundreds of dollars that is distrusted through Go Gold Cambridge to families that face financial troubles while their child is fighting cancer. This money can go toward gas, grocery bills and hotel stays. She also helps to find opportunities for the children to experience activities outside of the hospitals with their families. For example, WWE at the Kitchener Aud. This takes place annually and is now going on it’s third year in the fall. The fudge drive helps those in the community who have to experience scary, and stressful times. It allows for the parents to have a relief financially so they are able to spend more time with their child.
Michelle
2023 Gale-Walker Award WinnerCampbell is a kind, committed and gregarious volunteer who loves serving the community of Preston, and Cambridge at large. He believes in his community and he works constantly to address food insecurity through his work at the Food Bank. Campbell has volunteered with the Mobile Food Market at Preston Heights every week since its inception nearly two years ago. His commitment has helped the Food Bank establish this market. He serves customers at the Market with joy and care. Campbell has been integral in selling and distributing thousands of baskets of fresh produce in the Preston Heights community, helping to alleviate food insecurity in this wonderful neighbourhood. Campbell is an engaged and energetic volunteer. He’s made countless relationships with his neighbours in Preston and Preston Heights through his efforts, and brightens the day of everyone he comes across.
Campbell
2023 Gale-Walker Award NomineeSandra has a very special talent of connecting with people in the Preston Community as a volunteer with the Preston Idea Exchange Seed Library, children’s programs and events. Sandra has taken a very active role in the promotion of the Seed Library just by her presence in the community. She has created her own t-shirts and buttons that she proudly wears which shows just how much she is committed to the Seed Library, the Garden and its mission. She is a strong advocate for Idea Exchange and Preston in general. She is always sharing with others all the things that are happening at the library. She is a wonderful advocate, for libraries, without really knowing it, and the important space they provide in the community they serve. Sandra has become a constant, happy, and welcoming figure at Idea Exchange, Preston. Many regular members stop and say “Hello” as she sits and diligently works away on Seed Library tasks. These interactions have led to friendships with a variety of people from different backgrounds. She encompasses what the Idea Exchange community space represents to those who use their resources or borrow items, which is a welcoming, safe and accepting place.
Sandra
2023 Gale-Walker Award NomineeMichael is passionate about creating a community where there is a feeling of family and belonging, and a place where everyone feels supported and respected. Michael has impacted our community by creating a feeling of inclusion/acceptance, and by openly removing barriers to our LGBTQ community. Michael created an environment that welcomes all, and he did this work from the ground up at Parkway Public School. He started with a small group of students and staff working within the building to ensure all students felt like they were included and accepted, which lead to students asking to go beyond the four walls. Working with these students, Michael initiated the school’s newest mission to make the outside of the building and community as welcoming as the students said they felt the inside it. This lead to the creation and implementation of the Rainbow sidewalk outside the school’s front entrance and their first ever Pride Night event, an event filled with activities for all our community to enjoy.
Michael
2023 Gale-Walker Award NomineeDhyani is a grade 10 student, who has shown great leadership skills and commitment to her community as a volunteer with Preston Heights Community Group. Dhyani has volunteered a total 166 hours with PHCG as an event volunteer, a LIT in our summer camp, a City to City volunteer. Dhyani stood out as an outstanding youth volunteering, seeking out opportunities to help, play and engage with the campers during camp in addition to seeking out addition volunteer weeks. In addition to volunteering with PHCG, Dhyani has volunteered close to 130 volunteer hours in the community with the Idea Exchange, Black Box Consultancy and her school Glenview Park Secondary School. Dhyani leads with kindness, gentleness and positivity.
Dhyani
2023 Gale-Walker Award NomineeAlana has contributed to her community through her artistic talents and positive attitude. Alana is a very open minded and welcoming person who has connected with local organizations in attempts to share her gift of art and healing with her community. Alana does amazing work with an organization called Rhythm and Blues, on top of her solo work in which she aims to bring awareness to mental health. Alana has impacted the Preston Heights community by creating a safe space and helping others through affirmations and visual art. She is always open to event ideas and projects for her community. Alana’s efforts have had an impact as she radiates positive energy and never misses an opportunity to put her talents to good use.
Alana
2023 Gale-Walker Award NomineeJulie has lived in Preston as an adult, mom, wife for about 7 years and has shown a desire and passion for community, connection and life affirming practices and infrastructure. Julie Runs Preston Parents FB page, is on the cycling committee, attends local events, is a community builder and makes efforts to minimize her families carbon footprint.
Julie
2023 Gale-Walker Award NomineeLearn more about Michelle & George’s community impact:
“George was so pleasant and willing to help where ever he could. He was invited in the people in the community”
Steven – PHCG Neighbor
George and Michelle share a selfless and humble care for the community that they have both modeled as leaders; they want to see the absolute best for Preston neighbours.
George’s presence was felt in the ways he cared for his community and actively worked to make it a proud place to be; grilling on the BBQ at community dinners, helping to fix items in the community centre building and humbly caring whenever anyone shared updates on their life with him.
Michelle continues to build an inspiring legacy of humble, selfless and perseverant support of the community. In over a decade of involvement on the PHCG board and community leadership outside of this role, Michelle has been a calm and perseverant presence, advocating for the Preston Heights Community Group through change and for a better outcome for the community.