Keeping our Courage
Family SOS was proud to support the Courage to Give Back Awards and our many award winners and Ambassadors over the years. We have included some snapshots of our previous awards ceremonies below and are thrilled to list our previous recipients below.
2019
Ambassadors Rustum Southwell & Gracey Southwell
Indomitable Spirit - Colette Robicheau
Unsung Hero – Stewart Zaun
Brave Heart – Jodi Brown
Inspiring Youth – Gordel Mercer
Amazing Grace Award – Troy Ryan
2018
Ambassador Elizabeth Newman
Amazing Grace - Rodney Small
Indomitable Spirit - Loran Morrison
Brave Heart - Barry Yhard
Inspiring Youth - Alex Cunny Ross
Unsung Hero - Stephanie Glendenning
2017
Ambassador Phil Otto
Amazing Grace - Sherry Keizer
Brave Heart - Scott Jones
Indomitable Spirit - Neville Mac Kay
Unsung Hero - Craig MacDonald
2016
Ambassador – Dr. John Anderson
Amazing Grace - Jennifer Guy & Jim Hutchinson
Brave Heart - Gary Brinton
Unsung Hero - Kirby Putnam
Indomitable Spirit - Andrea Speranza
2015
Ambassador – Brendon Macguire
Amazing Grace – Nancy Walker
Brave Heart – David McKeage
Indomitable Spirit – Hope Swinimer
Unsung Hero – Cory Bell
We encourage you to view the Ways to Donate Page to learn how your donation can change a family’s life.
Ambassadors
Each year, we honour an inspiring community leader by naming them the Ambassador of the Courage to Give Back Awards. We open the call for nominations, seeking individuals who selflessly give back to their community, despite any personal challenges. Our Ambassador is a mentor, a visionary, and an inventor, who encompasses the values of Family SOS: family, children, youth, and community.
Our past Ambassadors include:
Gracey & Rustum Southwell, 2019 | Elizabeth Newman, 2018 | Phil Otto, 2017 | Dr. John Anderson, 2016 | Brendan Maguire, 2015
Danny Graham, 2014 | Colin MacDonald, 2013 |Fred Connors, 2012 | Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard, 2011 | Wadih M. Fares, 2010
Eleanor Humphries, 2009 | Dennis Campbell, 2008 | Mickey MacDonald, 2007
2020 Ambassadors
Nick and Carman Giacomantonio have had grit since their childhood in Whitney Pier, Cape Breton. Their father owned a dry cleaning shop, and everyone in the community worked hard for their money. It was a poor town largely made up of first generation immigrants, but rich in respect, love and community. “We had nothing, yet we had everything,” Carman explains.
Their bicycle tires were wrapped in duct tape, and if they had holes in their shoes, they would replace the sole daily with cardboard from the dry cleaner shop. Every Sunday, they held a big Italian family dinner -- a weekly celebration of what they had: family, love and food.
They started working for their father at age 11, cleaning up and replacing filters, eventually driving their Suburban doing deliveries.
High School was a tough time for the Giacomantonio brothers. Coming from Whitney Pier, they weren’t expected to be much. Their high school even had a separate door for kids from ‘The Pier’.
Now, Carman is a surgical oncologist and Nick is a cardiologist, both living in Halifax. Actually they live right across the street from each other. You may know them as the dueling Christmas light brothers on Connaught Avenue. Each year, they put on a spectacular Christmas light show with decorations and even a TV screen, raising money and food for local charities and food banks. Last year, Nick matched all monetary donations and Carman was taking a truck load of food to the food bank every second day.
This tradition started because of their mother. It was her dream to have her house fully decorated for Christmas, but they never had the chance to in Whitney Pier. When she stayed with Carman for Christmas in Halifax, the brothers decided to put on the best display they could, and their mom was in awe. Now, they continue the tradition in her memory every year.
Nick saw the need for provincial programming for cardiovascular health, which spurred him to spearhead the Heartland Tour in 2007. This is a yearly tour with short and long bicycle rides, walks and runs that travels throughout eight communities in Nova Scotia. They are not there to raise money, just awareness and education surrounding health and well-being. Their goal is to encourage Nova Scotians to get 150 minutes a week of moderate to intense physical activity.
Carman is Vice President of the Heartland Tour, and volunteers with the Canadian Cancer Society.
These brothers have made their jobs as doctors a vocation and are truly committed to the health and well-being of Nova Scotians.
2020 Award Recipients
Quentrel Provo
Indomitable Spirit Award
Seven years ago, Quentrel’s cousin was killed in Halifax through a senseless act of violence. He took his pain, anger and grief and turned it into action, starting the Stop the Violence movement. He held his first march in September 2012 where despite the rain and wind, 300 people from stroller to 80 years old showed up to march from Dartmouth to North End Halifax. Quentrel kept the movement going, connecting with families who shared similar stories, attending funerals of strangers who fell victim to violence, and showing up at court trials to support friends and families of victims. Stop the Violence grew into a non-profit organization and a clothing company in 2015. In 2016, when there were three homicides in Halifax within one week, a staggering 1000 people paraded the streets of Halifax in the annual march.
Quentrel has overcome the pain of losing a cousin and a dear friend, anger of being assaulted himself, and frustration of receiving several racist messages online through his anti-violence advocacy. These injustices push him to take his message even further. Quentrel has gotten his message across through a TED talk, WE Day, the National Summit of Black Canadians, and Cultural Panel at RCMP Headquarters. He spends most of his time now speaking to kids in schools and mentoring inmates in prisons. He also fundraised money for 400 youth of African descent to go see the movie Black Panther.
Quentrel’s steadfast commitment to peace and harmony and his dedication to the community has landed him a place on the international list of the 100 most influential people of African descent under 40. His persistent activism and ability to make positive change out of pain is inspirational to all those who hear him share his message.
“I took the hurt, the pain and the anger and turned it into something positive”
Kayla Bernard
Unsung Hero Award
Kayla grew up in Indian Brook in Hants County and now living in Halifax, considers herself urbanized indigenous. Kayla has experienced intergenerational trauma of residential schools, and is now working to reclaim and share her Indigenous culture. She’s done a lot of work with reconciliation, facilitating art-based workshops, having frank conversations that don’t shame people and building bridges for the future.
Kayla lost her best friend to youth suicide, and faced depression herself, which lit a fire in her to advocate for youth mental health. She started a program through the Heartwood Centre for Community Youth Development called Heart, which combines art, mindfulness and mental health to build a safe and supportive space for youth. She works with Scouts Canada developing programs around mental health education, hoping to take it nation-wide. At just 23 years old, Kayla works from the heart and requires no recognition or praise to keep fighting for reconciliation and for improved youth mental health.
“I felt overwhelmed, helpless and just a flood of negativity. I thought I need to do something. I need to make a difference.”
Bev Fletcher
Amazing Grace Award
When Bev Fletcher’s daughter Alexis took her own life, Bev was in her grief thinking about why she lost Alexis, what could have prevented it, and all the “ifs” surrounding her death. She came to the conclusion that Halifax needs better education on mental health, something beyond awareness. She started the Alexis Fletcher Endowment Fund through the IWK Foundation and holds several fundraisers yearly to fund mental health education programs in Halifax schools. She believes everyone needs to be informed on what to look for in people with mental illness and how to help a friend living with mental health issues.
Bev also uses her platform and her story to educate nurses, doctors and students. For Alexis, it wasn’t enough and it wasn’t fast enough, but Bev is working tirelessly to make the system better for future generations. Bev works as a nurse at the IWK as well as an EHS LifeFlight nurse
“There’s some piece that’s missing. There’s lots of awareness, but we need services, support and education.”
Tyler Simmonds
Brave Heart Award
Tyler was in the thick fog of a deep depression when he first set up his video camera and created his first short film. Not only was his creative process therapeutic for him, the film really resonated with his followers on social media. The viewers connected to his story and his mental health struggles. Tyler realized he could use his voice and his storytelling to help people, and make them feel they’re not alone. People started reaching out to him expressing their gratitude for his storytelling.
Now, Tyler shares his story and the importance of Mental Health awareness with youth groups, schools and through other public speaking engagements. Tyler speaks openly about his experience living with mental illness, reminding people that recovery is possible and emphasizing the importance of talking about it and encouraging people living with mental illness to get help. He is committed to reaching as many people as possible, sharing his story and advice on mental illness.
“When you work from the heart, people know it. It connects you with them.”
Karema Alarabi
Inspiring Youth Award
Karema came to Canada from Libya when she was 1 year old. Growing up in Halifax, she became fluent in English, French and Arabic. She is now 13 years old and has been volunteering since she was 8. Karema helps with various programs for newcomers to Canada through the Veith House and Halifax Public Libraries, including chocolate-making camps, Arabic lessons for youth, community gardening, sewing and crocheting. She also provides free child care to newcomer parents who want to participate in programs.
She gladly helps the many community members who knock on her door asking her for help filling out forms, opening bank accounts, and translating important government documents. She is even working with the IWK to translate their intake forms into Arabic.
Karema is a leader and mentor to newcomers of all ages and to all youth in her community. Her dedication to the community is unparalleled, her giving spirit is truly moving and her commitment to volunteerism makes her an inspiration to youth and adults alike.
“If I want to help people, the best thing to do is to volunteer. Sometimes some people cannot do something and I have hands, legs, I have everything I need to help people.”
Thank you to our sponsors!
We are so thankful to our amazing sponsors and friends that express their Courage to Give Back by supporting this important event!
