“Volunteers are a critical part of Easter Seals. Their passion and contributions, in various capacities, to the mission and success of the organization helps ensure that we are able to provide programs and services that make a positive, transformative impact in the lives of many individuals and families across Canada who are living with disabilities… especially during the COVID19 pandemic. We are incredibly grateful and thankful to our many volunteers across the country for their incredible generosity and contributions to Easter Seals, and their their unwavering dedication to helping make Canada a truly accessible and inclusive society for all.”

Dave Starrett, President & CEO of Easter Seals Canada

In BC our 2022 Easter Seals National Volunteer Award Recipient is: Sharon Hansen

We are delighted to present a 2022 National Volunteer Award to Sharon Hansen.

For over 20 years, Sharon has made an incredible impact and been a passionate advocate for children and adults with disabilities. Always gravitating to helping people, her first involvement with Easter Seals in BC happened when the youth group she was coaching was approached to perform at one of our Timmy’s Telethons, and it’s there where her interest in charity and community involvement began. Later on, she was instrumental in starting the North Vancouver Deep Cove Lions Club in 1999. Through this endeavour she was invited to an open house at Camp Squamish where she saw firsthand children with disabilities enjoying the camp. She was then invited to tour Easter Seals House, and after noticing the repairs and work that needed to be done on the House at the time, she hoped her club could help make a difference.

Her volunteer activities are as varied as her skills, and they include such things as hosting Easter Seals fundraisers like the most recently popular paper shredding events, personally selling paper eggs for the Easter Seals Month campaign, and establishing the Camp Improvement Committee for Camp Squamish.

Sharon has worked tirelessly not only as a volunteer through her Lions Club and a chairperson for her Lions district, but also now as an Easter Seals Board Member where her work on the Lions Committee has played a key role in re-establishing a partnership and awareness of Easter Seals with Lions Clubs across British Columbia.

Sharon is an absolute pleasure to work with and we know she is very deserving of the National Volunteer Award.

“It is an honour to be considered for this award.

It seems I was destined for volunteering and helping my community, and my role as a volunteer, as a Lion, and as an ambassador for kids and underserved communities has come full circle. My passion for kids has defined who I am.

I remember very well seeing the yellow Easter Seals buses running throughout Vancouver, I love sharing our best kept secrets like donating funds for the helipad at Vancouver General Hospital, and I am extremely proud of the Vancouver East Lions Club for having the initial vision that began our legacy.

One of my favourite memories is seeing the kids at camp playing outside and having so much fun. They are in a place where no one sees their disability and they are all equal, and that is just so heartwarming.

I look forward to celebrating the 75th anniversary of Easter Seals BC/Yukon this year, and am honoured to be a part of their history.” – Sharon Hansen