A long-time resident and centenarian in Lunenburg has received a prestigious award through the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON).
Joy Saunders was awarded the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers in a private ceremony outside of her home on Friday, February 26.
The medal recognizes the exceptional volunteer achievements of Canadians from across the country in a wide range of fields and is in recognition of her significant volunteer contributions with VON.
In May 2020, at 101 years old, Saunders began dedicating her daily walks in her neighbourhood in honour of front-line care providers, and to raise awareness and funds for VON in Nova Scotia.
She set a goal to walk a 0.8km route 102 times before her 102nd birthday in October 2020.
Saunders completed her walk final walk on September 12 – six weeks ahead of schedule – and raised more than $79,000 for VON’s efforts in the province of Nova Scotia.
“l want to extend my sincere congratulations to Joy on receiving The Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers. Joy is an inspiration to many, and her exceptional contributions will help ensure that people who require extra support with meal security, transportation or home care services have access in their communities, through VON,” said Jo-Anne Porrier, President and CEO of VON Canada. “We are grateful to Joy, and congratulate her for receiving this prestigious award.”
The funds raised by Saunders will support VON’s work to serve seniors and vulnerable people through community programs, such as Meals-on-Wheels and Transportation.
