LAS Award of Merit 2006
On May 10, 2006 the Lung Association of Saskatchewan presented its award of merit for outstanding service in promoting lung health in Saskatchewan to the Honourable Graham Addley of Saskatoon and Violet Stanger of Regina during a lung health awareness reception for MLAs at the Legislative Building in Regina.
The management of chronic disease is critical for the health our population. However, the prevention of much of this illness is within our grasp. Graham Addley has recognized the importance of air quality and healthy lifestyle choices in avoiding and managing chronic lung diseases.
As a member of the all-party Special Committee on Tobacco Control, he accepted the charge of the legislature to change public practices in order to protect health and helped to accomplish that task. Graham Addley was accessible and open to new ideas while simultaneously setting out actions that were most likely to achieve the goal of improved public health. In his current position as Minister of Healthy Living Services, we know that he continues to make progress in the reduction of tobacco use and that more health rewards will follow.
While in a sense this award recognizes the work of many MLAs, we recognize Graham Addley in particular today, because of the extra effort he has made in working with us and helping to advance our mission of improving lung health in Saskatchewan.
Violet Stanger is well known and well-liked in the Saskatchewan legislature from the years that she served as an MLA during the 1990s. Violet joined the Lung Association of Saskatchewan Board of Directors in 2003.
Although she served for only two and a half years, Violet has had a lasting influence on our organization. One example is that we know have a governance committee that is formalizing our best practices, ensuring that the Lung Association continues to be an accountable, transparent and responsible organization. Another example is the MLA lung health awareness reception. It was under Violet's leadership that the first MLA reception occurred in November of 2004 and she has given us a helping hand in the 2006 version as well.
Violet has many friends at the Lung Association who would like to see her back on the Board and all are very pleased that she is being presented with the Lung Association of Saskatchewan Award of Merit.
