Multicultural Council Award Recipients Announced

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The Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County has announced the names of the annual Harmony, Champion, and Inspire Award recipients for 2019.

“The MCC takes great pride in extending our appreciation and gratitude to members of our community who embody the mission of the Multicultural Council.” asserted Ms. Kathleen Thomas, Executive Director of the Multicultural Council, “This year’s award recipients have unquestionably given of themselves and committed to making Windsor-Essex a more welcoming community for all.”

Presentation of the awards will take place at the 2019 Herb Gray Harmony Awards Gala, to be held on May 2nd at the Ciociaro Club. The event features a different globe-hopping theme each year, and attendees this May can look forward to experiencing “‘Opa!’ a Grecian Gala”.

The Harmony Award: 

This award was established to recognize individuals and groups who have made an outstanding contribution to building a welcoming community for all, will be presented to The Tepperman Family.

Established by Nate and Rose Tepperman, both immigrants, who met and married here in Canada, Tepperman’s department store has become a Windsor institution and a testament to hard work and commitment to our community. Nate Tepperman built his business by providing opportunity to people as much as on providing goods. By instituting the concept of flexible payment schedules, Tepperman’s addressed the immediate needs of newcomers, and provided them with the dignity they sought in their new country.

This ethic continued when son Bill Tepperman and his wife Rochelle assumed leadership of the business. As both their business and family grew- welcoming sons Jonathan, Andrew, and Noah, Bill and Rochelle ensured that Tepperman’s was increasingly involved and investing in community programming and partnerships. Their organization engrained community engagement into their core principles, actively leading community arts, health, wellness, and education programs both corporately and personally.

Sons Andrew and Noah and their families have continued to invest in residents and newcomers to Windsor-Essex, demonstrating civic leadership, care for quality of life, and the same commitment to community that helped to make Tepperman’s the success it remains today.

The Champion Award:

This award celebrates the contributions that immigrants make to our community. This year, the honour will be presented to Dr. Gordon Jasey.

Dr. Gordon Jasey is a proud Windsor resident, an award-winning and ground-breaking doctor who served as the chief of Obstetrics for over ten years at Grace Hospital, the former president of the Academy of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and an immigrant to Canada.

Born in Lebanon, Dr. Jasey grew up in Eastern Canada, and following his medical training at Dalhousie University, relocated to Windsor. He has been a vocal and active advocate for the resettlement and integration of newcomers to Windsor-Essex, serving as a founding member of both the Arab Canadian Intercultural Orientation Centre and the Windsor Islamic Association.

While continuing his medical practice and enjoying his family, Dr. Jasey remains involved in assisting charitable causes and initiatives in Windsor, across Canada, and around the world.

The Inspire Award:

This was established in 2018 to celebrate the 45th Anniversary of the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County. It recognizes a newcomer to Windsor-Essex for their perseverance, optimism, and the positive example they provide to our community. The 2019 recipients are Mr. Charles Kayumbi and his wife Mrs. Marceline Kolongo.

Mr. Kayumbi and his family arrived in Canada in 2013 as refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Charles, his wife Marceline, and their four daughters spoke no English and had no personal contacts here in Canada, but were emboldened by the prospect of opportunity.

Now, a mere five years later, the entire family is fluent in English, and Charles and Marceline are college graduates- Charles in Social Work and Marceline in Personal Support Work. They own a grocery store specializing in African goods, two of their daughters are studying at St. Clair College, and two are in high school.

The family now volunteers their time to assist refugees and newcomers to Canada. They offer social and language help, and show new arrivals around the city, proud to be a source of comfort and security in what they know is an uncertain time.

Tickets for the event are $100 per person, $950 for a Table of 10, and $1500 for Corporate Tables. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information, including a list of previous recipients, visit www.themcc.com.