Dacanay is 2006 Ontario Service Awardee

Dacanay is 2006 Ontario Service Awardee

MISSISSAUG–The Provincial Government of Ontario, through the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, Minister Mike Colle, awarded Geopoldo Dacanay, Peel Halton Youth Basketball Association-PHYBA, Executive Director, the prestigious honour as an Ontario Service Awardee for 2006.
This mark of distinction is in recognition to his dedicated commitment as a volunteer in Ontario and awarded by the provincial government after a stringent nomination process.

The 2006 Ontario Volunteer Awards was held at the Banquet Royale in Mississauga last June 8, 2006 attended by other awardees in Ontario and presented by the Honourable Minister Mike Colle, represented by Provincial cabinet Minister Harinder Takhar. Geopo Dacanay is known as a prolific volunteer in the community. He has involvement in may sectors of the community specially for the youth. As one of the founder of the Peel Halton Youth Basketball Association-PHYBA, he directed this association for the last ten years to remain dedicated for the youth in the community specially to its youth development program.

He’s founding member of the Philippine Choral Society of Mississauga and the PCSM Children’s Choir, raising funds for 20 years for many community charities in Ontario and U.S.A.

He also works with the youth and senior citizens as the Director for the FilCanadian Theatre Group, bringing cultural plays to the Filipino community. As part of his mainstream volunteer work, he is the present Executive Director for the U.S.A. Pavilion, bringing the American spirit to Mississauga’s Carassauga Festival of Cultures for the last six years. His dedicated involvement to Carassauga Festival, awarded him the 2001 Volunteer award. Dacanay is also the youth coordinator for the Toronto Raptors Youth Outreach Program – Raptorball. He was recently nominated as member of the Board of Directors for the Gateway Centre for the New Canadians responsible for community relations and resource development. His relentless drive for community works will attest to a well governed organization he’s involved with, and his sense of team spirit, have won him the respect and admiration of his colleagues with the other leaders in government and private organization.

Excerpt of a media interview after the Ontario Service Award Ceremonies:

What’s your feeling about being honoured by the Government of Ontario?

Geopo Dacanay: I am very happy of course, with my wife and family. It’s an affirmation of unselfish dedication to give something back to the community.

You have to volunteer without being asked and do not expect any return. To be honoured as such, I represent many other volunteers and my group in our community. This is also an honour for them.
What does it take to be a volunteer like you. You seem to be involved in every event in the community?
Geopo Dacanay: It’s passion, dedication and commitment. If you want to be a part of it, do it right, from beginning to end. You wouldn’t do it halfway.

I am very passionate for everything that I do or initiate, and with the right group supporting you, the work could be done. Yes, I would like to be a part in the community. Somebody got to do it. This is the backbone of the life of our community and if we wouldn’t do it, who will? Everyone must give a part of themselves to our youth, community and others. It’s the satisfaction that in a little part of our lives, we made, helped or did something good to somebody.

What can you say to others who volunteers?

Geopo Dacanay: Let us all be the force of good. We must continue giving unselfishly a little part of our lives to someone or something. There are many who needs our time, just a bit of our time. We can make others happy and build something for a stronger community. As I said, to be a force of good does not cost much, it’s just showing we care, and we do it unselfishly. There are others, and this is what they only do, who would try to undermine good works, but let us continue doing good things, anyways.

(PRESS RELEASE)