L-R: Vicki Proulx of Vernon Winter Carnival; Taia Buffie and Amy Cuthbertson, students; Kim Wallace of The Stor-it Place (Submitted photo: VWC)

By Pete McIntyre

62nd annual

Winter Carnival concludes, students awarded scholarships

Feb 14, 2022 | 11:08 AM

Two Vernon students will be getting some help with their post-secondary education funding thanks to their enjoyment of Vernon Winter Carnival.

Carnival, in partnership with long-time event supporter The Stor-it Place, has awarded two Grade 12 students with $500 scholarships.

Students were asked to submit a short essay about the impact Carnival has had for them personally. Seventeen entries were submitted, sharing personal and memorable moments from Winter Carnival.

The successful recipients were Amy Cuthbertson of W.L. Seaton Secondary and Taia Buffie of Fulton Secondary.

You can read Taia and Amy’s essays online here.

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“The true magic of the Vernon Winter Carnival is in its ability to truly build community connections,” wrote Cuthbertson. “While the events are fun and a welcome escape during long cold winters, the long lasting impact of this tradition is that it gives roots and connections to residents of Vernon. The significant number of volunteers and donors are a testament to this.”

“I know that the carnival impacts many other families around Vernon just as it impacts mine,” wrote Buffie in her essay. “Now that I am older, I still love all of the events, but I also appreciate the unity that the carnival brings to our community. Young and old come together as volunteers, spectators, participants or simply community members looking for a way to enjoy our city.”

Carnival’s executive director Vicki Proulx said hearing the stories from these young adults is inspiring.

“It’s interesting to see how our next generations are forming their own Carnival memories and what events are becoming their future family traditions,” said Proulx.

“The entries this year were above and beyond what we expected. It’s clear the graduates of 2022 are going to be community-minded individuals who will take initiative and get involved in events like Winter Carnival,” added Kim Wallace, general manager of The Stor-It Place.

“Thank you to The Stor-it Place who initiated this scholarship project, which is helping us to keep the traditions of Carnival alive, while looking forward to the future of the festival,” said Proulx.

The 62nd annual Winter Carnival wrapped up on Sunday, Feb. 13 after ten days of activities.

by Pete McIntyre

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