For the first time ever, a husband and wife have been honoured with the annual Sax Koyama Citizen of the Year Award having been honoured decades apart.
Elaine Gibbons was named the 2015 Sax Koyama Citizen of the Year by the Oceola Fish and Game Club late last month, the same award her husband Richard won in the early 1990s.
"This is the first time it's been won by both a husband and wife," said Ron Taylor, a longtime member of the Oceola Fish and Game Club. "Elaine was chosen because of her long-time involvement in Lake Country. She was on the parks committee even before we had a municipality. She was on the Okanagan Centre Green Space committee and has been extremely involved with the Okanagan Centre hall."
Lake Country Mayor James Baker presented the award to Elaine Gibbons at the Oceola Club's meeting on April 21.
"The Gibbons' have been community people for years and have put a lot of hours into the community," said Taylor.
The annual Sax Koyama Citizen of the Year award has been handed out since the 1980s and is in memory of Oceola Club member Sax Koyama, who drowned in a boating incident in the 1980s. Shortly thereafter the Oceola Club named the award in his name.
"Sax was a member of the fish and game club, the United Church, he was a volunteer fireman and always was available to help anyone anytime," said Taylor. "Sometimes he was asked and sometimes not, he would just do things. That's what the club has based the award on."