Cassidy Nikirk of Quesnel has been awarded the annual B.C. Hydro Power Pioneers Community Service Award.

The $500 award recognizes students who dedicate a significant amount of their time and energy to volunteering in their local communities.

Provincial director of the B.C. Hydro Power Pioneers Rae Daggitt says that Nikirk’s application stood out from others due to her extensive involvement in the Quesnel community.

“She’s done volunteer work for a long time and she is passionate about helping people,” said Daggitt. “She’s participated in a suicide awareness workshop, she’s participated in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program for two semesters, she’s been given the opportunity to advise and council kindergarten age students every week, she volunteers at the SPCA and she’s active in the softball association and is a mentor to the younger players.”

Eighteen-year-old Nikirk, who will be graduating from Correlieu Secondary School this month, has been accepted into the nursing program at the College of New Caledonia in Quesnel and is excited to take on a career in which she will be able to continue to have a positive affect on the community.

“I always had a passion for helping people and I just wanted to be able to continue helping people in the community and have that be my job,” said Nikirk.

The B.C. Hydro Power Pioneers organization which has 15 regional branches and over 2000 members across the province, is made up of retirees and employees of B.C. Hydro and its associated companies, as well as their spouses.

The organization, whose motto is “supporting our communities and each other,” is dedicated to supporting communities and its members are involved in fundraising and other activities to support local and provincial charities.

The organization awards 20 Community Service awards annually throughout the province and Daggitt says he has personally seen the positive effect they have on recipients.

Over the years I’ve met some pretty awesome young people,” said Daggitt. “I remember one recipient, she was a single parent on welfare and she didn’t have any transportation. She used the award money to buy a bicycle so that she could get to her job and now she’s graduated out of university so the end result really turned out good.”

To learn more about the B.C. Hydro Power Pioneers and the work they are doing in communities across the province visit www.powerpioneers.com.