|
The Conservation Dinner of the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation and Exeter Lions Club has been very honoured to have the generous support of prominent emcees, special guests and well-known and well-respected donors. The Conservation Dinner Committee is very honoured to announce that the Special Guest Host and Emcee for the 2012 Conservation Dinner is Doug Brooks, CEO of Certified General Accountants of Ontario.
The 2011 Special Guest was Terry O'Rourke, father one of the local Canadian veterans - Eamon O'Rourke, who worked as a co-op student at Ausable Bayfield Conservation and did a tour of duty in Afghanistan from 2008 - 2009.
The Special Guest for 2010 was local broadcaster Kristylee Varley - a local woman who has found success as a broadcaster in Canada and has returned home to her native watershed. She has also gone out of her way to help in Southern Sudan.
Previous special guests were Order of Canada recipient and Canadian business leader John A. MacNaughton (2009), and A Channel personality Scott Miller was emcee of the 2008 Dinner. Other emcees of the Conervation Dinner have included: meteorologist and television personality Jay Campell (photo at bottom right); John Davidson, founder of Jesse's Journey (photo at middle right); Randy Tieman, CTV sportscaster (photo at top right); statesman Jack Riddell; and many more.
The entire Ausable Bayfield watershed appreciates the contributions not only of the many celebrities who have given generously - but all our VIPs - especially our volunteers, donors and patrons.
2012 Doug Brooks
2011 Terry O'Rourke
2010 Kristylee Varley
2009 John A. MacNaughton
2008 Scott Miller
2007 John Davidson
2006 Randy Tieman
2005 Nick Paparella
2004 Kate Young
2003 Stephanie Mandziuk
2002 Bill Brady
2001 Suzy Burge
2000 Gordon Cudmore
1999 Hugh Filson
1998 Jack Riddell
1997 Peter Garland
1996 Jay Campbell
1995 Cliff Maxwell
1994 Jay Campbell
1993 Bob Heywood
1992 Jack Riddell
1991 Bruce Murray
1990 Bill Lanouette
Local broadcaster named Conservation Dinner emcee and special guest for 2010
The Conservation Dinner committee announced this week that Exeter native and radio broadcaster Kristylee Varley is the 2010 special guest and emcee.
She has worked in radio since her graduation in 2006 from Fanshawe College’s broadcast journalism program. Her voice has been heard across communities in Ontario and even Edmonton, Alberta – but she made the decision to return to South Huron where she is news director and morning news anchor at 90.5 myFM Radio Exeter/Grand Bend.
Conservation Dinner Committee Chair Teresa Ondrejicka said Varley’s local roots and success in her field make her a great choice to be the special guest at the 21st anniversary dinner. “We are very happy to announce that this year’s special guest and emcee is a local woman who has accomplished a great deal in a short time as a broadcaster and who has also participated in two international trips to bring a safe water and environmental message to the world,” she said. “Kristylee has worked in the broadcasting field at different locations in Canada but she chose to return to work in her home watershed.”
Varley’s grandparents are Alice and Jerry MacLean and her parents are Julianne (née MacLean) and Ken Varley. Growing up in this part of Ontario has been a real asset, the 23-year-old journalist said in an interview at the studio. She said young people growing up here are exposed to the best of rural life while also being close enough to cities to know about what urban life has to offer. Although she has lived most of her life in the area, she is always learning more about the people and how supportive this community can be.
How did Kristylee Varley decide on a career in broadcasting? She jokes that her teachers at South Huron District High School “told me I talked a lot,” but she also benefitted by job-shadowing former A-Channel meteorologist (now retired) Jay Campell. Ironically, Campbell is also a former emcee of the Conservation Dinner (serving in 1994 and 1996).
As a broadcast journalist, Varley has witnessed first-hand many of the stories that affect a community, some very sad and others very uplifting. “My favourite thing about this job is it’s different every day I come into work,” she said.
Although busy with her duties at the radio station, she also makes time to enjoy other pursuits. She has taught figure skating and she has been a hockey player and fan.
Kristylee has covered issues in Southern Sudan as a journalist, creating a five-part radio documentary on the work of Canadian Aid for Southern Sudan, a London, Ontario based charity. During her time in Southern Sudan, she became so acutely aware of the need for clean water programs there she has volunteered her time with that organization, visiting Africa twice. “I had trouble being a bystander,” she said. During her trips to Africa she helped the people there learn about a system to clean water and with education about how to keep water clean. “It’s very overwhelming,” she said. “When you come back, it makes you very appreciative of what we have in Canada.”
As emcee, Kristylee will keep the dinner evening moving along at a quick pace and recognize some of the donors, patrons and prize winners during the charitable gala, which features live and silent auctions, special and general raffles, and door prizes.
“We know Kristylee will help create a wonderful evening for patrons of the dinner,” Ondrejicka said. “Kristylee is a regular user of the MacNaughton Morrison Section of the South Huron Trail and she’s an appropriate supporter of an event creating accessible trails, commemorative woods, fish stocking, conservation education and more.”
This watershed is lucky to have a trail like the MacNaughton-Morrison Section of the South Huron Trail, according to Varley. She and her dog are avid walkers of the trail and she said many of her friends from cities come and are amazed at what is here.
The Conservation Dinner is a local success story, thanks to the donors, patrons, and volunteers from the watershed community, the Exeter Lions Club, the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation and the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority. Over its 20-year history, supporters have raised more than $550,000 for conservation through the charitable event.
There have been many notable special-guest emcees, over the dinner’s history, ranging from Order of Canada recipient John A. MacNaughton, to Canadian hero John Davidson (of Jesse’s Journey), to CTV sportscaster Randy Tieman to Canadian statesman Jack Riddell and more. Varley says she’s honoured to be chosen as this year’s special guest. “I’m very honoured,” she said. “A lot of prestigious people have served in the past – it’s a great honour to be part of this dinner.”
This year’s Conservation Dinner takes place Thursday, April 15, 2010.
To donate to the dinner or inquire if tickets are still available phone 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610. For information on the Conservation Dinner visit conservationdinner.com or abca.on.ca
  
|
