One of the volunteers with the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba (IFM) was honoured last week with a Manitoba Tourism award for her dedication to the festival, service excellence and introducing new events.
The festival’s past president, Jenna Boholij, earned a Volunteer of the Year Award at Tourism Winnipeg and Travel Manitoba’s first joint Tourism Awards celebration on Oct. 19.
The Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes service excellence and outstanding contributions to the tourism industry.
IFM president Marilyn Valgardson said Boholij deserved the award for her long standing volunteer service, leadership and ingenuity.
“We’re so thrilled that Jenna was chosen for the award. She’s so deserving of this recognition,” said Valgardson. “She’s been a volunteer with the festival since she was 16 years old and has brought new events to the festival.”
Boholij joined the festival in 2001 as a parade marshal. She still volunteers on the festival board, overseeing social media, branding, communications and scholarships. She spearheaded events such as the Vingolf Beverage Gardens, Get Dinged and the Magnus Classic Strong Man competition, which have boosted attendance and attracted new crowds, according to her biography on Travel Manitoba’s website.
Valgardson said Boholij showed real leadership and ingenuity throughout the COVID-19 pandemic when public health restrictions led to the cancellation of public events.
“She was our president during the pandemic and she conceptualized and encouraged us to go virtual with events that people could join online,” said Valgardson. “She pulled that off with grace.”
Barb Gluck and Gwen Harp of the Gimli Glider Museum were also nominated for the Volunteer of the Year Award.
Selkirk’s Holiday Alley earned the Event of the Year Award. The Destination Brand Committee of the Gimli Chamber of Commerce had also been nominated for that award for its ice village on Lake Winnipeg.
For a complete list of nominees and award winners, visit www.travelmanitoba.com
