Calgary, 1 June 2023 – Philippine-born Jeanae
Elisha Ventura, 13 years old, is this year’s recipient of the 2023 Calgary
Award for the category of Community Achievement Award for Youth.
Ms. Ventura, who was six years old
when her family moved to Calgary in 2016, was among the 13 awardees that were
recognized by the city during the ceremony held on the night of 14 June 2023 at
the Calgary City Hall. Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek personally handed the award
to Ms. Ventura.
Established in 1994, the Calgary
Awards are given to individuals, corporations, community groups, and
organizations to celebrate and recognize their outstanding achievements and
contributions as Calgarians.
Ms. Ventura was recognized for her
skills in performance arts as well as her food and toy drives that have helped
Calgary families and children. The City of Calgary also credited her advocacy
for diversity and inclusion on behalf of girls and young Filipinos in the city.
In her nomination form, Ms. Ventura was cited for being a volunteer of Alberta Children's Hospital where she collected a total of 4,000 toys worth $60,500.00 from 2019 to 2022 and distributed them as Christmas gifts to the admitted kid patients in the Hospital