ARTHUR – Arthur resident Laird More was named citizen of the year at the Arthur Chamber of Commerce Community awards ceremony Oct. 23.
“Laird has and continues to be an active member of the Arthur Lions Club, serving in most executive roles, working in the food booth, and directing the annual craft show,” said Arthur Chamber of Commerce President, Paula Coffey during the ceremony.
“He started the SU sports program and continues to lead the organization each year. … Laird was instrumental in adapting the program and taking it to Nicaragua about twenty times with teams of youth from Canada.”
More was absent from the ceremony due to scheduling conflicts, but said he is humbled by the award.
“It’s humbling to receive the award, and I certainly do not take it lightly. It’s an honour,” More told the Advertiser.
More has been a member of the Lions Club for 51 years, joining in Mitchell in 1973 and transferring to Arthur in 1976.
More also started the Arthur SU Sports Camp in 2000, a Christian-based sports camp that teaches sports as well as the Bible.
However, More told the Advertiser he can’t take all the credit for his accomplishments as it was his wife Catherine More, who unfortunately passed in April of last year, that inspired him and kept him going.
“She was supportive all the way along, and in my mind, she was far more empathetic.
“She was always much more observant as to needs and how to solve them than I was … it was her that was leading the way,” said More.
“And sports camp was the same, we did it the first year and after that, she would take a week off work just to cook and wash and clean and run kids back and forth to the park and that sort of thing.
“She just, she just loved it. And I think it was more watching her have fun than it was for the kids in the camp that kept me going.”
More had been nominated for the award in the past without success and was shocked to hear that he had won.
“Other people that do just as much, if not more than me were nominated,” said More.
“Nothing that I did was done alone; anything that I was involved in, there are a lot of other people that helped make it a success I can’t take credit.”
More said he takes “immense pride” in the town of Arthur and credits an ‘awful lot of good people’ for making the town feel like home.
