Two Edmonton volunteers among Stars of Alberta
Jamie Hall
edmontonjournal.com
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
EDMONTON – Two Edmontonians were among the eight recipients honoured for their volunteerism today at the 2007 Stars of Alberta Volunteer Awards.
Khalid Tarabain is a local businessman and a driving force in the Islamic community.
His proudest volunteer moment coincided with the opening of Edmonton’s Islamic Academy a few years ago, a project he spearheaded by raising funds and recruiting support.
“Volunteerism needs to be part of our lives,” said Tarabain. “It makes communities better and it makes us feel like we’re part of our communities’ success.”
Sixteen-year-old Malika Ladha, the recipient of the youth award, has a volunteer portfolio that began even before childhood memories started to take shape.
“I volunteered with the Ismaili Volunteer Corps when I was about three or four,” said Ladha. “I don’t remember exactly what I did, but I remember I got to wear a uniform which I thought was pretty cool.”
Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture Minister Hector Goudreau presented the awards, noting that there are about 2.5 million volunteers in the province who contribute almost 450 million hours to different community initiatives.
Portraits of Ladha, Tarabain and their six fellow award recipients, are now featured on Alberta’s Volunteer Wall of Fame in the pedway mall at the legislature.
Ismailimail 