What's an annual meeting without doling out $45K in grants?

The United Way Sudbury and Nipissing Districts celebrated its 33rd anniversary last week by honouring a number of local volunteers and providing $45,000 in community grants to 14 organizations.

“We are celebrating successes – new partners, new relationships, new strategies and achievements,” said Michael Cullen, executive director of the United Way, in a press release. “2014 was an exciting year. Now, we are looking forward with our newly released three year strategic plan that will further have community impact in Sudbury and Nipissing.”

At its annual general meeting the United Way handed out eight United Way Awards.

The award recipients were:

James Grassby Volunteer of the Year Award: Chris Coulombe & Sharon Murdock

Frank March All For One Award: Mike Di Brina

Jean Hanson Lifetime Service Award: Tom McGibbon

United Way Community Award - Nipissing: Chris Mayne & Lise Spencer

United Way Community Award - Sudbury: Rob Roeterink

Volunteer Labour Award: Linda Boyd

Spirit of Community Award: Andrew Strutt & Shared Space Sudbury Board of Directors

United Way Partnership Award - Nipissing: 211 Ontario

Through its GenNext program the United Way also celebrated eight volunteers between the ages of 20 and 39.

The NextGen award winners were:

Volunteer of the Year: Christian Howald & Anita Gregoire

Active Living: Katie Wismer

Arts & Culture: Frank Chartrand

Mentorship - Nipissing: Chelsey Brown

Mentorship - Sudbury: Yaeji Han

Social Justice - Nipissing: Nicole Millage

Leadership: Pam Patry

Environmental: Harneet Gill

In addition to honouring local volunteers the United way granted $45,000 in funding to 14 organizations in the Sudbury and Nipissing Districts. The grants include support for equipment, subsidies, capital investments and funding for specific projects.

The 14 grant recipients were:

- AIDS Committee of North Bay & Area

- L'Association des jeunes de la rue

- Brain Injury Association

- CNIB (Nipissing & Sudbury)

- Centre de santé

- Centre Pivot du Triangle Magique

- Child & Community Resources

- John Howard Society (Nipissing & Sudbury)

- Learning Disabilities Association (Nipissing & Sudbury)

- Meal on Wheels

- Providing Adults with Developmental Disabilities Lifelong Experiences (PADDLE for short)

- Rayside-Balfour Youth Action Network

- Social Planning Council (Nipissing & Sudbury)

- Sudbury Multicultural and Folk Arts Association.