SOUTHEASTERN ALBERTA – Top 7 Over 70

A Southeastern Alberta chapter of the Top 7 Over 70™ is in full swing and hosted its first awards gala on Oct. 10, 2024, in Medicine Hat. Plans are starting for the next gala in the area, which will occur in fall 2026. Watch this space for details in the coming months!

Supported by the Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta (CFSEA), organizers in that part of our province hosted a tremendous event last year.

“The gala is an opportunity to influence multiple generations to continue their aspirations in following their passions and dreams,” say organizers. The Southeast Alberta Top 7 Over 70 organizing committee included David Andrews, Myrna Stark, Jim MacArthur, Frances Barnes, Todd O’Reilly, Niki Gray and Peter Donnelly.

The 2024 Top 7 Over 70 recipients in Southeastern Alberta.

“The Community Foundation has three pillars: we grow, we inspire and we give,” Stanley Sakamoto, businessman and CFSEA volunteer, said at an earlier news conference announcing the program in Medicine Hat. “The Top 7 Over 70 awards program aligns with the ‘we inspire’ pillar by not only applauding remarkable accomplishments but by serving as an inspiration for the generations to come, emphasizing that age is not a barrier to innovation, creativity and positive societal impacts.”

The work being done by organizers of the southeastern event is truly commendable, says Top 7 Over 70 founder Jim Gray.

“They are helping to spread the word and deliver an important message,” says Gray. “We need seniors and their contributions to help grow our communities and our economies. Their contributions — thanks to years of wisdom, experience and their ability to make things happen — are invaluable.”

David Andrews, chair of the Southeastern Alberta Top 7 Over 70, says it was difficult to narrow down the nominations they received to just seven recipients.

“We’ve got an author, we’ve got some naturalists, one of whom has taught herself to be a photographer after the age of 70.”

Recipients included Wilma Hunter from Books, who has done incredible work with the Dress a Girl project, which provides new dresses to girls in need around the world. The dresses also signal to human traffickers that these girls are being watched over by an international charity, which can help stave off an abduction. Hunter spearheaded a local effort to make hundreds of dresses.

Other Southeastern Alberta Top 7 Over 70 recipients were photographer Nancy Hanson, author Jacob Eckert, businessman and philanthropist Bill Yuill, sportsman Blair Reed, volunteer Martha Munz Gue, and artist Deborah Forbes.

The event occured at Medalta in the Historic Clay District of Medicine Hat on Oct. 10. You can also check out the southeast Top 7 Over 70 group at its Facebook page here.

THE 2024 TOP 7 OVER 70 RECIPIENTS IN SOUTHEASTERN ALBERTA