By KAREN WELLS
The Pilot
LEWISPORTE — Whether it is the Mussel Bed Soiree, Lewisporte Craft & Trade Show, Marine Boat Show, Winter Games Lanes, Lewisporte Stadium, Woolfrey’s Pond Park or pretty well any recreation facility or event in Lewisporte, chances are you will find Derek Bennett there.
As the Recreation & Tourism director for the Town of Lewisporte, Mr. Bennett clocks quite a few hours organizing, coordinating and implementing recreation and leisure activities in the community. What you might not realize is that many times Mr. Bennett is volunteering above and beyond his scheduled hours and duties mandated by the Lewisporte Town Council.
That dedication was recognized this year with a nomination by Recreation & Tourism committee and Councillor Karen LeDrew-Day - supported by other members of council, current and former co-workers and fellow volunteers - for a 2012 Volunteer Recreation Recognition Award with Recreation Newfoundland and Labrador (Recreation NL).
With glowing testimonials of Mr. Bennett’s volunteer efforts, he was selected to receive the award.
“Derek has demonstrated an ability to be a leader, and built a reputation to establish trust and collaboration to advance the Town of Lewisporte’s economic diversity through the many facets of recreation within our growing town,” Ms. LeDrew-Day wrote in the nomination letter. “He motivates others, fosters cooperation of many individuals, groups and committees.
“He anticipates the needs and expectations of team members and initiates collaborative problem solving. His enthusiasm for his job is evident in every task he undertakes and he is a great asset to the town.”
Former special events coordinator Brenda Gerbig wrote in her testimonial that as a mentor, Mr. Bennett “was extremely creative, committed and focused in his work and who could take projects from scratch and create incredibly detailed memorable events.”
Further to that a fellow volunteer, Steve Cole, added “Derek is a true leader in our community, not one to take centre stage, but consistently working to see that things are getting done for the betterment of the town and its residents.”
Mr. Bennett said it was nice to be nominated, but he honestly didn’t expect it. He started out as a volunteer long before beginning his career with the Town. He was involved with the planning of the first Mussel Bed Soiree, something he has continued to dedicate himself to this day. He had been involved when Lewisporte hosted the Winter Games in 1990, Scouts, men’s softball, he started the first men’s bowling league in Lewisporte and ran the youth bowling program for a number of years.
When asked why he volunteers, Mr. Bennett said, “It’s just a passion I have. I feel like a part of the town. I grew up in Lewisporte and I like to give back and help out where I can. I feel I have a lot to offer to the community and I like to be active and involved in doing that.”
Mr. Bennett added his appreciation to those who nominated him for the award. It is something he believes the Town should do on an annual basis in terms of recognizing volunteers.
“While they nominated me this year, there are many, many other people that are more than eligible and suited for that award,” he said. “There should be people nominated and receiving this award every year.”
Recreation NL Board
In addition to his volunteer award, Mr. Bennett has also accepted a position as central regional director on the 2012-12 Recreation NL board of directors. The central region in this capacity extends to include as far as the Springdale and Gander area, to Bay d’Espoir and Twillingate-New World Island.
This two-year term is a volunteer position. Mr. Bennett’s responsibilities are to assist other communities within the region on what programs and services are being offered by Recreation NL. He will also assist smaller communities on various recreation initiatives and work with them on identifying fundraising options, government funding programs and concerns they might have.
“I will offer help and advice because many communities in the region are volunteer based, so they don’t have office staff or trained staff for developing their community recreation wise,” said Mr. Bennett.
He looks forward to the opportunity to work with them on their recreation initiatives.
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