Dave Mikkelsen Award

About the Dave Mikkelsen Award

The Dave Mikkelsen Award for Youth is a $1,000 annual award in honour of former Mayor Dave Mikkelsen’s dedication to Chestermere and its youth during his 12 consecutive years on Council.

Mr. Mikkelsen’s commitment to supporting young people in this community and his desire to ensure that their voice is recognized by Council and lives on through this award.

The award was given from 2010 to 2021.

Purpose

This award has been designed to recognize a variety of endeavours that serve to support the sustainable development of Chestermere youth including workshops, courses, post-secondary education, physical education, capital projects, conferences, etc.

2021 Winner

Camp Chestermere

Award funds were used to provide programming supplies for their Summer 2021 Day Camp programming. All of the funding was put towards items that would be used by the children who attend the program.

2020 Winner

Chaz Peddlesden

The award funds were used to purchase sailing jackets for each member of the Calgary Yacht Club’s youth race team. Chaz wanted to help the race team be safe and comfortable no matter the weather conditions they experience on the water.

Photograph L-R: 2020 Mikkelsen Award Recipient Chaz Peddlesden, 2021 Mikkelsen Award Recipient on behalf of Camp Chestermere Shannon Dean, Former Mayor of Chestermere Dave Mikkelsen, Deputy Mayor Cathy Burness, Councillor Michelle Young.

Past Winners

2019

Camp Chestermere will use the funds towards purchasing bikes and helmets for the camp’s summer bike program. In the past, the camp has been unable to provide the program due to financial restrictions. More details are available on campchestermere.com.

2017

Seventeen year old Jay Bailey and her friend Shaun Fisk have wanted to put on a community talent show for some time. They plan on using the $1,000 award towards renting a space for the event. Jay would also like to see participants auction off their art items and put the money raised back towards local youth organization Synergy.

2016

Thirteen year old Nathan Hermann knew he wanted the $1,000 award to go towards an upgrade at the Chestermere Skate Park. Nathan and his friends visit the Skate Park often during the warmer months and his initial idea was to put the funds towards a water fountain. He proposed the idea as a benefit to the riders at the Park and as a way to reduce waste from plastic bottles. While the water fountain is beyond the budget of $1,000, Nathan sought community sponsorship to make up the difference and in 2017 his dream became a reality at Cornerstone Community Park, beside the Skate Park.

2014

Megan Desplanque is a volunteer leader with both the Lake Ridge Community Church Youth Group and the YELL (Youth Encouraging Lasting Leadership) group. She was awarded the $1,000 cheque for her plan to start a YouTube channel directed at the youth of Chestermere. Desplanque says she came up with the idea after noticing a decrease in attendance at youth groups, so she began to look at different ways that youth are interacting with one another, and how to get connected with them outside of meetings. The channel doesn’t have a name or a link yet, but Desplanque says she plans to come up with one soon.