All hail the local hero

BAREFIELD’S Ann Norton has been hailed a local hero, making the shortlist of the national Community Champion 2012 initiative.

 

The award, organised by Calor, attracted nominations from every corner of Clare. Ann has made the shortlist as the Clare nominee for the award and people are being urged to vote for her to take the overall title.

Ann was nominated for her long standing work within the local community. Along with a number of parents of children with special needs, she set up the Clare Crusaders Clinic in 2005.

The Crusaders started with an initial objective of providing much needed speech therapy to their children and children with special needs in County Clare.

Since 2005 Ann has worked tirelessly in helping the clinic flourish and blossom into the outstanding success it is today now providing therapies such as occupational & speech therapy, physiotherapy, reflexology and special education. Ann runs the clinic on a voluntary basis and it now employs seven therapists who provide much needed therapies to over 190 children in Clare.

According to a spokesperson for the competition, “It is time to support your county woman and to show true community spirit, so support Ann to help her be in with a chance to be crowned Community Champion 2012 and make Clare the home of this year’s inaugural winner of the competition.”

The winner of the Calor will receive €1,500 and a bursary of €7,500 to give to their nominated charity or local organisation. And there will also be €500 for the person or organisation that nominated them.

Voting is now open to each and every member of the public through the Calor Facebook page. To support Ann visit the gallery of nominees to see who is representing your county, read about the organisation they have selected to receive the prize and their ‘pitch’ for votes at facebook.com/calorireland. The public will have until August 20 to vote and the top four local champions and two wildcards will make it through to the final phase.

The winner will be chosen by a judging panel led by TV and radio personality, Hector Ó hEochagáin, and including GAA and sports broadcaster, Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh and Jennifer Fagan from Calor. The overall winner will be announced on September 4.