By Bejay Browne
Nominees from towns around Cyprus have been announced for the annual Hearts of Gold awards, now in it’s eleventh year.
Members of the public nominated deserving children and adults and a panel of philanthropic judges are voting in each of the four categories, choosing a winner and an honorary mention.
Awards Patron, Charalampous Theopemptou, MP, said: “We had an impressive number of nominations this year and I am very honoured to be part of the awards which highlight the wonderful people in our community. I’m looking forward to the ceremony and meeting all of the nominees that help to make our community so special.”
Nominated in the junior section are: Ashley Phillips, 18, Eleni Vlotomas, 14, Despina Vlotomas, 11, Antonis Pissarides, 9, and Zoe Dhull, 5. Also nominated in this section are, Rana Sarris,15 , Rama Al Habrat, 14, Lucy Chojnowski, 15, Sara Sarris,14, and Ellie Polycarpou,14.
All of these youngsters have either shown dedication, determination or courage, are coping with illness, raising money for charity or are excellent role models to others.
In the adult section, nominees include: Alan Mack who has worked tireless to raise in excess of 95,000 euros for Cyprus charities,The Paphos Zingers, who have raised tens of thousands of euros for local charities, entertainer Jasun Watkins for raising more than €10,000 for Animal Rescue Cyprus, (formerly known as Paphiakos & CCP Animal Welfare) Maxine O’Daly, Cherrie Gregory and Pamela Mills for starting“Breast of Friends”, a support group for women coping with breast cancer, and Joy and Martin Collins, for their volunteering and caring.
Also nominated this year: Thamara Da Silva, for her support of migrant workers,Wendy Burdon for volunteering and support of women of domestic abuse, Sue Busfield for her long standing dedication to Animal Rescue Cyprus, Sozi Constantinidou, for her work with the same charity and Angela Allery, the only volunteer at the municipality pound of Kiti in Larnaca.
Other nominees include : Manager of PAWS dog shelter, Matthew Harris, along with the shelter volunteers, Pasycaf nurses of Paphos (similar to MacMillan nurses in the UK) and the Cancer Patients Support Group, Paphos, for their dedication to cancer patients and their families.
For raising awareness and support for the LGBTI community of Cyprus and related issues, Evi Gravrielidou, Tasia Andreou, Stalo Lesta, Al Davidian, Zoe Kakota and Nicholas Tryfon, the President of Accept LGBTI Cyprus.
Alexandra Kyriakidou for establishing and running ‘the Alex farm of stray animals rescue’, Penelope Athinodorou Mantis, for constant kindness and support for students’ scholarship.
Sarah Coyne and Celia Stavri for their charitable endeavours and caring hearts, and Dawn and Mark Foote for ongoing dedication to Tala cat park.
Nieske De Jonge for help and re-homing abandoned and abused dogs and Elaine Barker for her help of refugees through her work at Caritas, Larnaca. Mary Chognowski for her community art and fund raising and Miriam McConnon for a children’s bi-communal project and help for refugees.
Ivy Gibson for beautifully knitted blankets for charities and Gaynor Georgiou for her commitment to the stray cats of Paphos. Keith and Wendy Watkins for their clean- up campaigns, Panicos Chrysanthou for his humanity, Irina Yakimovich for fundraising and action against crime, and Paphos Lifeguards for going over and above their duties.
The Friends Hospice volunteers and staff are nominated along with the Gift of Love ladies, and Sue McCafferty for her charity fund raising Aquathon.
The Dr. Yiota Demetriou Dancing Queen Foundation which supports programmes and raises funds and awareness for children with mental health challenges, and Vasilii Andreevich Gourkoskiy for his dedication to culture and the Russian youngsters of Paphos.
The winners will be announced by this year’s patron, Charalampous Theopemptou, and British High Commissioner, Stephen Lillie, at a special celebration ceremony due to be held at SEK in Paphos on December 1.
Every nominee will be given a certificate and a flower and the adult and junior winners will be given a hand crafted solid gold heart on a pin, created by Aphrodite Jewellers in Paphos and a number of other prizes, including a bouquet of flowers and a hamper of handmade treats by Joulietta Chocolatier. The adult winner will also be given a weekend break with dinner at Almyra Hotel.
Cypriot artist Yiota Ioannidou is creating a Lifetime Achievement award and versions for the Junior, Adult and Jasmitha Awards, which are all supported by DCS-Durable concrete solutions Cyprus. Kivotos Gallery supports the Jasmitha award for Courage.
Father Christmas will hand out presents to the nominated children and entertainment will be provided by the children of the Learning Refuge, the International School Choir and dance ensemble Romiosini.
The awards are also supported by Paphos Municipality, British High Commission Nicosia, Massiva printers, Aphrodite Jewlers, DCS, Joulietta Chocolatier, Almyra hotel, Cyprus Mail, The Paphos Post, Rock FM, In Focus Films, Kivotos Gallery, Kamanterena Winery, Chris Hopkins Photography and Cyprus Images Photography.
www.heartsofgoldcyprus.com
