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Steve Gibson – Volunteering with DUC
Oak Hammock Marsh, Man., April 12, 2010 — If you want to know about harvesting blueberries, Steve Gibson is your man. If you have questions about snow removal, talk to Steve. And, if you want to know about what is so great about volunteering with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC), you guessed it, talk to Steve. The Amherst, Nova Scotia, business man and devout sports fan is a DUC champion but makes it very clear that it is the team that scores the goals – not just one player.
Steve has a long history with DUC; he has been attending the local dinner for the past 15 years. Always a supporter, he had never given much thought to actually being on the committee but then one day he was asked, so he joined. Steve will tell you that the Amherst committee puts forth an extraordinary team effort for DUC. They are full of ideas and never miss an opportunity to translate goods and services into dollars for ducks. From the group of guys that get together to build a shed for live auction to the same group that split and stack wood for auction, their committee is one of the most resourceful and resilient in Atlantic Canada. Their annual dinner is usually attended by nearly 400 people, which is amazing for a town of 10,000.
“Our committee and the entire community take great pride in our annual dinner,” says Steve. “That one night brings together so many people. Thanks to an amazing committee, a fantastic auctioneer and generous donations from local businesses and individuals, we do very well for conservation. The way our committee thinks and works together, it is only going to get better!”
Thanks to his volunteer work with DUC, Steve is meeting a whole new crowd of people that he might not have had the opportunity to get to know through his day job running an equipment company. Working with different people from varied backgrounds has helped him to further develop his communications skills. An advocate of diversification in his business operations and in all aspects of his life, Steve sees tremendous value in keeping an open mind when it comes to ideas and people.
“The Amherst chapter works really hard as a group and Steve is a key part of that group,” says Jamie Young, DUC’s fundraising manager in Nova Scotia. “Steve is a relatively new volunteer and has been an incredibly generous supporter. He fits in extremely well, and like our other volunteers, goes far beyond any expectations that I have – they are amazing!”
“National Volunteer Week, April 18-24, is our opportunity to celebrate DUC’s team of 7,400 dedicated volunteers like Steve,” says Loraine Nyokong, DUC director of event and retail fundraising. “DUC volunteers are continually giving freely of themselves to organize fundraising events across Canada for the benefit of wetland conservation. They are the driving force behind our success.”
“I am a big believer in diversity,” says Steve. “DUC is a great organization and the more people we can get involved the more successful we will be.”
Funds raised by volunteers like Steve directly support DUC’s Wetlands for Tomorrow campaign – the largest conservation fundraising campaign in the history of North America. It spans three countries as DUC works alongside Ducks Unlimited, Inc. in the United States and Ducks Unlimited Mexico to conserve wetlands for waterfowl, other wildlife and people.
For more information, contact:
Ashley Lewis, a_lewis@ducks.ca
Communications Coordinator, Fundraising
Ducks Unlimited Canada
Phone: 204-467-3252
