Darla Hennessey, Elliot Lake’s well-known community volunteer and event coordinator, was honoured at a Rotary Club dinner Tuesday evening receiving the Paul Harris Fellow award. Hennessey was officially named a Paul Harris Fellow by the club which annually inducts a worthy citizen recognizing community work.
Rotarian Tim Phelan spoke about her long legacy in the community where she served as an event coordinator for the city for 23 years until her retirement a year ago.
Hennessey moved to Elliot Lake with her husband Howie and their two children, Trina and Jessie after the couple retired from the Canadian Armed Forces.
“Those of you who know Darla well will not be surprised that retirement did not suit Darla and she quickly set out to find things to do,” Phelan, who has known Hennessey since he was seven, said. “First, she joined the Elliot Lake Nuclear and Mining Museum Board, eventually being hired as its curator.”
He noted that she was also involved with many city events after being name Special Events Coordinator, spearheading annual traditions like the ice fishing derby, street dances, parades, the Uranium Heritage Festival and Canada Day celebrations.
“What’s more impressive is that, on top of all this, Darla found thousands of hours to volunteer for just about any organization that asked for her help.”
Phelan first met her when he joined the Air Cadets and took part in a fundraising effort by the group under her command.
“I wanted to help so badly, but I was too young to go out on my own,” he recalled. “Darla—never being one to turn away a precocious young volunteer—assigned two of her older cadets to be my minders for the day. Needless to say, the others were none too thrilled at the prospect of carting around a snot-nosed baby for the day. That’s when Darla told them that everyone who wants to help should be given a chance to do so. With that, off we went. I came back a little tired and sore, but I was hooked. I spent a lot of hours volunteering, thanks in part, to someone giving me an opportunity to help.”
Hennessey said she was honoured to receive the award. She said without the support of many volunteers and service clubs, events in the city would not have been as successful as they became.
In retirement, she is a noted volunteer and supporter for the Junior “A” Elliot Lake Red Wings hockey club and urged those attending the dinner to support the club.
Hennessey said once she has hip surgery done, she will be back out in the community volunteering at the level she did when she worked for the city.