Norm McLeod Awards

Shawna Churchill, 2003 Norm McLeod Dreamweaver Award Winner

Life Is Full Of Surprises Says Provincial Award Winner

According to Shawna Churchill, winner of the 2003 Norm McLeod Dreamweaver Award, life is full of surprises.

Being nominated for the Dreamweaver Award, which is presented annually to an Albertan who is committed to improving the quality of life for people with developmental disabilities, was Shawna’s first surprise. Unannounced to her, members of the Medicine Hat Advocacy Group, an organization for self-advocates, nominated Shawna for the provincial award. According to Eleanor Moore, one of her nominators, “We wanted to nominate Shawna because she has helped people to believe in themselves.”

Her biggest surprise, however, came on awards night in Edmonton, when twelve members of the Advocacy Group made the long trip to Edmonton to surprise her.
With the support of a REDI volunteer driver, the members arrived in Edmonton, and were secretly escorted into the awards ceremony. Meanwhile, Shawna was given a mock video interview. Midway through the interview, the Advocacy Group members gathered behind her, and she was asked to turn around to receive the surprise of her life.

Between tears and laughter, Shawna tells the rest of the story, “It’s overwhelming. Some of them are afraid to travel and have never been anywhere without their guardian—and here they were!”

This story is indicative of the confidence Shawna has inspired in the people she works with. In their letters of nomination, they say things like: “Shawna taught me to believe in myself”, “Shawna gave us encouragement to speak up for ourselves and for the good of the community”, “Shawna believes in everyone reaching for their dreams and does all she can to help us reach them.”

The Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) Provincial Board created the Norm McLeod Dreamweaver Award to celebrate the career and contributions of Norm McLeod. Throughout his 35-year career, Norm has and continues to inspire countless people with his untiring commitment to community inclusion. He has a personal vision of people with developmental disabilities living as full participants in their communities. The Norm McLeod Dreamweaver award is presented annually to an individual who is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with developmental disabilities.

The PDD Provincial Board’s mission is “to create an Alberta where adults with developmental disabilities are included in community life.”

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