Whitby’s youth to be celebrated December 10

Whitby will honour the very best of the town’s young people December 10 with the annual Celebrating Youth Awards at the Centennial Building.

This year’s awards, presented by the Whitby Youth Council, will recognize youth ages 12 to 18 who through their selfless actions, volunteerism, or involvement in school or community organizations have “demonstrated a commitment to making Whitby a better place to live, work, and explore.”

The award ceremony will take place at 8:15 p.m. at the Centennial Building, which served as the Ontario County Courthouse from 1854 to 1964 until it became a community centre, especially for arts and cultural events.

Seventeen youth were honoured earlier this year for their accomplishments in 2023, with those young people recognized for volunteering for school councils and events; participating as positive role models within school teams; and fundraising and volunteering for organizations like The Denise House, Footprints, 4 Autism, Durham Regional Police’s Youth in Policing Initiative and Durham Youth Services, among others.

“Every one of these honourees has demonstrated that age is no barrier to making a significant difference in your community,” said Whitby Mayor Elizabeth Roy last February. “Thank you for the time and commitment you have put into making our town a better place for all.”

The Whitby Youth Awards have been celebrated since 2002.