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REM Community Volunteer Awards

Since 2001, the Kotlas Connection has honored a volunteer at REM Community Awards Ceremony. This ceremony allows local nonprofit organizations each to honor a volunteer of their own choosing in a public forum.

The ceremony is usually held in October or November and usually takes place at the Waterville Opera House. Besides the presentation of the awards themselves, the ceremony includes musical and dance performances.

The ceremony is organized by REM, a broad-based nonprofit organization dedicated to community revival in the Central Maine. Its objectives include developing a vibrant economy, improving education, supporting the arts, promoting health and fitness, empowering youth, building community, and increasing recreational opportunities.

The honoring organizations are all members of the REM Partners, a coalition of over fifty local nonprofit organizations convened by REM to promote volunteerism and share resources. Besides the Kotlas Connection, the other Partners include hospitals, colleges, schools, churches, and various other smaller nonprofit organizations. Each REM Partner may select one or more volunteers from its ranks to recognize at the ceremony. In any given year, twelve to fifteen REM Partners do.

For more information about REM, the REM Partners, and the REM Community Awards, please visit REM's web site.

Taken at the reception after the 2007 awards ceremony, this photograph shows all but one of the Kotlas Connection's past and future honorees. From left to right, Herb Foster, former co-chairman of the Connection and 2009 honoree; Mary Coombs, 2003 award recipient; Carl Daiker, then co-chairman of the Connection and 2010 honoree; Ellen Corey, current co-chairwoman; Peter Garrett, co-founder of the sister city pairing; Gregor Smith, 2007 honoree; Jack and Pauline Mayhew, 2006 co-honorees; Phil Gonyar, 2005 honoree; Sheila McCarthy, 2002 honoree; and Louise Smith, mother of the 2007 honoree. Missing is our first honoree, Natalia Kempers, who died in September 2004.

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