North Bay’s Tom Hedican has been named the Kiwanis Citizen of the year today by the Kiwanis Club of North Bay.
“Tom has been recognized around the Province of Ontario for his leadership of the ‘Coach4Food’ program but his most emotional recognition was today by his hometown,” stated Councillor and Kiwanis Citizen of the Year Chair Chris Mayne via social media today.
“Thank you to the selection committee including Sharon Fung, Stu Campaigne, Tanya Vrebosch, Clarke Heipel and Ralph Celentano for their efforts and thoughtfulness with this year's selection.”
Tom Hedican, a professional goaltending consultant, founded Coach4Food in 2005, a program which was inspired by rock legend Bruce Springsteen and his work with food banks around the world.
Hedican's program played a key role in North Bay being named Hockeyville in 2007.
He has also received an honourary degree from Nipissing University in 2015 and was named an Honourary Colonel at CFB North Bay in 2014.
Hedican told baytoday.ca that he didn't even know he was nominated.
“It is something I share with my family first, my wife Nancy Ann, my dad Ernie, and my sister and brother in law Mary Lynn and Dale Hall, and certainly my late mother Shirley who taught us all so much about giving. It was made clear to my sister and I by my mom and dad that we were to think of other people, and to be of service," said Hedican.
“And it goes beyond that. I share this with the entire community of North Bay. There are thousands of young hockey players, both boys and girls, thousands of coaches, managers and parents, who supported Coach4Food like I would never have imagined.
"We started out collecting 1,000 pounds of food for the North Bay Food Bank, and now the program is province wide and nearing the 1.5 million pound mark. It takes an army to do something like that so there are truly plenty of people to thank and with whom I share this with," continued Hedican.
“I am so humbled and appreciative of this award from the Kiwanis Club. It is such an outstanding organization and does amazing work here in North Bay, and all over the world. When you think of Kiwanis, you think of children and they have been the driving force behind Coach4Food.”
Hedican will be honoured at the Kiwanis Citizen of the Year dinner on May 25th.
