Categories & Criteria

YOUTH GAME CHANGER
Awarded to a youth, youth group, or youth project that has increased awareness and taken action to improve the daily lives of youth in their community. The recipient will have demonstrated creativity and dedication in their approach to supporting youth and moving youth forward in their community.

SENIORS GAME CHANGER
Awarded to a senior, seniors group, or senior geared project that has increased awareness and taken action to improve the daily lives of seniors in their community. The recipient will have demonstrated creativity and dedication in their approach to supporting seniors and moving seniors forward in their community.

EDUCATION GAME CHANGER
Awarded to an individual, group, or project in the Kootenays who have demonstrated a dedication to improving the lives of students OR an individual in the education system who has exemplified excellence in the system. The recipient will have demonstrated creativity and dedication in their approach to supporting students and moving students forward in their community.

HEALTH & WELLNESS GAME CHANGER
Awarded to an individual, group, organization, or project that has increased awareness and taken action to increase the health and wellness of their community in the Kootenays. The recipient will have demonstrated an understanding of the importance of individual health in moving a healthy community forward. The recipient will have demonstrated creativity and dedication in their efforts to reach broad spectrum of community members.

GOVERNMENT GAME CHANGER
Awarded to an individual, group, or project that has moved a community forward in the Kootenays through local government. The recipient will have demonstrated dedication to improving the socio-economic climate of their local government and community through an innovative initiative. The recipient may be a government employee or department, or an external initiative that has directly supported local government. Recipient may not be an elected government official.

PROTECTIVE SERVICES GAME CHANGER
Awarded to an individual, group, or project that has moved a community forward through their dedication to safety of community members in their community in the Kootenays. The recipient will have demonstrated dedication and/or creativity in their role as an advocate for safety in their community.

FAMILY GAME CHANGER
Awarded to an individual, group, or project that has increased awareness and taken action to improve the daily lives of families in their community in the Kootenays. The recipient will have demonstrated considerable positive impact to the lives of families in their community through dedication and creativity.

ARTS & CULTURE GAME CHANGER
Awarded to an individual, group, or project that has moved the community forward through increased awareness of the importance of arts and culture in the Kootenays. The recipient will have taken action to directly or indirectly provide arts and culture exhibition, performances, or workshops to the community; in a creative manner.

FIRST NATIONS GAME CHANGER
Awarded to an individual, group, or project that has moved a community forward through their dedication to First Nations in their community in the Kootenays. The nominee will have demonstrated knowledge of the importance of a holistic approach to moving First Nations communities forward.OUTDOORS & ENVIRONMENT GAME CHANGER
Awarded to an individual, group, or project that has moved their community forward through responsible use of their local environment. The recipient of this award will have demonstrated an innovative and balanced approach to use of the outdoors and environment in their community in the Kootenays. The recipient will demonstrate an understanding of the importance of the utilization of the outdoors and environment in the lifestyle of community members in the Kootenays.

SPORTS & RECREATION GAME CHANGER
Awarded to an individual, group, or project that has moved their community forward in sports and recreation. The recipient of this award will be known in the sports community as a dedicated leader; who has shown dedication and creativity, encouraging increased sports and recreation in their community in the Kootenays.

TOURISM GAME CHANGER
Awarded to an individual, group, or project that has moved the tourism sector forward in the Kootenays. The recipient will have demonstrated a positive impact to tourism growth in their community and/or the Kootenay region. The recipient will have demonstrated creativity, innovation, and/or collaboration in their approach to tourism development.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT GAME CHANGER
The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to an individual who has dedicated a significant portion of their life to the betterment of their community.

UNSUNG HERO GAME CHANGER
The Unsung Hero Award will be presented to an individual who has overcome significant challenges and has used their experience to better the life of another individual or group of people within their community.