Trio receive YMCA Peace Medal

Nov 23, 2020 | 5:10 AM

PRINCE GEORGE — The YMCA of Northern BC has honoured three individuals in the community with the YMCA Peace Medal. Those three are Bailey Grose, Dave Horton, and Melanie Hanson.

The YMCA Peace Medal is given to individuals or groups during the YMCA Peace Week in recognition of the impact individuals or groups can have on participation, empathy, advocacy, community, and empowerment.

Bailey Grose received her award in recognition for her efforts in the Hearts of PG movement. Back in March, Grose started putting hearts in her windows to help bring hope back to the community and those walking by. The movement talk off with houses and businesses all across the city placing paper hearts in their windows.

Dave Horton was given his medal for his continual drive in bringing fun and engaging events to the community in uncertain times. Horton first started hosting trivia nights in the parking lot of the CN Centre and outside of the Westwood Pub before branching out to have drive-in movie nights and cultivate the wildly successful Candy Cruise on Halloween.

Melanie Hanson in the early summer had coordinated a group of volunteers to host car parades to help celebrate birthdays in the city. What started off with just a small parade for her daughters birthday evolved into weekly parades that soon brought their total into the hundreds.

Hanson does reflect on the fact that events like these are all possible because of the community here.

“It really speaks to the people who live in our city. Prince George is great for coming out and supporting each other and instead of being stuck in that fear, you see so many people come out and be helpful instead.”

Horton mentions as well that the city of Prince George is so supportive that it’s really just waiting for it’s opportunity.

“This town is dry tinder for the fire of good ideas. This town is ready for someone to light the match on good ideas and you can see that with the Covid birthday parades. You can see that with the Hearts of PG and with Candy Cruise, Drive-In Movies, trivia night, and everything else.