The Gimli Ice Festival honoured outstanding members of the community for their dedication to community service and for showing the world that anything is possible if you set mind to it.
Bruce Benson (left) and Alec Baldwin were honoured for their achievements and inspiration
This year, the festival paid tribute to Bruce Benson, Alec Baldwin and the late Everett Lloyd.
Festival co-chairs Peter and Susan Holfeuer hold a recognition evening each year before festival launch day to pay tribute to community volunteers who help set up and run the festival, as well as to those who’ve provided outstanding service to their community.
Gimli resident Sherry Benson-Podolchuk, spoke about her brother Bruce and her nephew Alec’s dedication to their community, achievements and service to the social weal.
“I found the evening inspiring, recognizing people who do little things, not grand gestures, and yet their impact reaches beyond society expectations to spread seeds of hope and connection,” said Benson-Podolchuk after the award ceremony on March 6. “It inspires another person to do something equally important and that has a ripple effect around the world.”
Benson-Podolchuk delivered tributes to Bruce and Alec during the ceremony, which was held at the Gimli Lakeview Resort.
Bruce Benson, a Gimli resident and commercial fisher who created The Flag of Humanity a couple of decades ago, was recognized for his “global movement” to unite humanity through the flag, sending out “seeds of hope for the future,” and for practising environmental stewardship.
“Bruce reminds us that making the world a better place doesn’t always begin with grand gestures — sometimes, it starts with something as simple, and as profound, as picking up garbage,” said Benson-Podolchuk. “For over 20 years, Bruce has dedicated his life to cleaning our planet, beginning right here in Gimli, where he would walk the beaches collecting garbage — and inspiring others, including his own children, to join him.”
Benson has travelled all over the world, including to China, India, Guatemala, Thailand and Laos, voluntarily picking up garbage wherever he went and encouraging people to embrace the commonality of being human. He helped establish a charity, The Flag of Humanity Foundation, to disburse funding to financially disadvantaged schools across the globe and promote environmental stewardship.
“Bruce’s vision was simple yet profound: to remind us that we are more alike than different, and that kindness and understanding can transcend borders, religions, and politics,” said Benson-Podolchuk.
Alec Baldwin, who has autism, is well known in Gimli for his artistic talent, especially when it comes to dogs, his athletic performances and multiple medal wins at Special Olympics competitions, and his stunningly powerful vocal work at festivals and Winnipeg Jets’ hockey games.
His community-mindedness is underscored by his commitment to keeping the environment clean by picking up garbage, lending his artistic talents to painting murals on the Gimli seawall and hosting the town’s annual dog party.
Benson-Podolchuk said Alec embraced his abilities, proving the world wrong about people with autism.
“From being told he might never speak or learn, Alec has gone on to graduate from high school and achieve extraordinary success in so many areas,” she said. “He has never made excuses for a disability; instead he embraced his abilities. This is something we can learn from and celebrate. We can get out of our own comfort zone, not allowing others to put a ceiling on our ability or dreams.”
Beyond Alec’s achievements, Benson-Podolchuk said his character shines the brightest, and his love for his community is unwavering.
“His gentle personality, sense of humour and quiet kindness have helped him face bullying and unfair judgments with grace. Alec never complains — instead, he chooses to give back,” she said. “He is the only person I know who is authentically happy for the winner. He truly celebrates their win in his competitions at Special Olympics.”
Benson-Podolchuk thanked Alec for inspiring others to be compassionate and for his determination to achieve whatever he set his heart on.
“Alec, you remind us all what it means to believe in ourselves, to follow our dreams and to live without limits or judgments,” she said. “We are deeply grateful that you are part of our community, showing us every day that with heart and perseverance, anything is possible.”
The festival presented Bruce and Alec with commemorative plaques recognizing their individual achievements.
The festival also paid tribute to the late Everett Lloyd, who was a dedicated ice festival volunteer and the inspiration behind the creation of the festival’s polar bear mascot, Cooley, in 2013.
Lloyd had recorded a song in the 1980s about a polar bear named Cooley who was serving as Santa’s helper. That song turned into the festival’s endearing mascot, who greets visitors from all over the world and provides games for the kids at the festival.
