The Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce honoured eight different businesses and businesspeople during the second annual Clovies awards on April 27.
Local businesses were given prizes for green business practices, community service and entrepreneurship. But it wasn’t just businesspeople who were honoured.
When the Cloverdale Community Kitchen won their Not-for-profit of the Year award, audience members started asking for “Dave,” calling his name until emcee Dave Sheldon called him down to the stage.
Dave Glastetter is a long-time volunteer with the Cloverdale Community Kitchen. He received the award alongside Matthew Campbell and Jim Heuving from the community kitchen.
The late Bill Reid was a prominent part of this year’s awards ceremony, as he was during the inaugural Clovies.
“As Bill Reid always said: Centre of the universe folks,” Rob “Turkey” Kielesinski said. “Bill was my mentor, 100 per cent.”
Kielesinski’s company, Turkey’s Party Makers, won the Business Excellence Under 18 Employees award.
Turkey’s Party Makers won the Business Excellence for Under 18 Employees at the 2017 Clovies. Grace Kennedy
Reid was also present through the Bill Reid Memorial Business Person of the Year award, presented by Marion Reid and Elements Casino representative Chuck Keeling to this year’s recipient, Cloverdale Rodeo manager Mike MacSorley.
“Five years ago I came into this community as a scared guy running the Cloverdale Rodeo,” MacSorley said during his acceptance speech. “One of the first things I did is I went and met Bill Reid, and he gave me the low down on what to do to succeed in Cloverdale.”
The Bill Reid Memorial Business Person award is meant to recognize an individual who is an inspirational leader in their organization, has proven business talent and promotes their community.
MacSorley has worked with the Cloverdale Rodeo for the past several years, and is currently the president of the Surrey Crime Prevention Society.
New to this year’s event was the Giddy Up award, which is given to an organization that enhances or improves Cloverdale with something new. This prize was awarded to Mosaic Homes for their investment in Cloverdale in 2015, as well as their involvement in the Santa Claus Parade and the redesign of the Cloverdale Gateway sign.
“To be honest, in the office when we heard that we were honoured with this we felt a bit guilty,” development manager Rob Elliott said, “because when you drive by it looks like we’ve done nothing.”
“Overall we’re really excited to be a part of Cloverdale,” he continued. The development project – 114 townhouses on the former site of the Cloverdale Mall – will break ground this summer.
This year’s winners were:
- Honeybee Centre, Green Business of the Year
- Umbrella2 Design Group, New Business of the Year
- Cloverdale Community Kitchen, Not-for-profit of the Year
- Total Bliss Spa, Young Entrepreneur of the Year
- Turkey’s Party Makers, Business Excellence Under 18 Employees
- Dublin Crossing Irish Pub, Business Excellence 18 and Over Employees
- Mike MacSorley, Bill Reid Memorial Business Person of the Year
- Mosaic Homes, Giddy Up Award
