When a local senior was asked to write a column for The Prince George Citizen more than four years ago, it took a while to convince her to do it.
Once Kathy Nadalin made up her mind and the Seniors' Scene column transitioned to feature those community members that made Prince George what it is today, it was an easy decision to turn a collection of columns into a book. Especially when she made the decision to have all the proceeds from the book donated to an endowment fund at the Prince George Community Foundation, which benefits non-profit organizations throughout the city.
The People of Prince George, the Foundation of Our Community, will be released to the public Sunday at Books & Co. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There was an earlier book launch by special invitation to more than 150 people who are featured in the book.
"My passion is seniors," Nadalin said. "Before it was get up, go to work for 32 and a half years and when I retired I decided now it's time for people and that's what I wanted to do."
She started volunteering at the Elder Citizens Recreation Association (ECRA), as a member of the Telus Community Ambassadors, the Order of the Eastern Star, and many other volunteer positions that equal more than a full time job.
During that time Nadalin would listen to senior's stories and she'd always tell them they needed to write their histories down.
"I kept saying to everyone 'someone should be writing a book about these people," Nadalin said. "A year later Agnes Leslie and I were writing a book."
Nadalin and Leslie created The Book: Memoirs of our Members, a collection of personal histories of the members of ECRA. Nadalin and Leslie wrote, edited and compiled the book with all proceeds donated to the operating costs of ECRA's centre. Leslie and Nadalin were awarded the Jeanne Clarke Local History Award in 2009 for their efforts.
Years later, Nadalin was asked to write the Seniors' Scene.
"I thought that was ridiculous, just ridiculous," Nadalin laughed, who writes the column on a volunteer basis.
Nadalin has a lot of respect for the seniors who choose to live in the city.
"Our seniors have done so much for Prince George," Nadalin said. "In my column I really like to talk about their volunteer work and I just want to highlight these wonderful people because they made Prince George what it is. I really am grateful to the Prince George Citizen for making all this possible to make all these people happy."
Nadalin wants to thank all the seniors who were willing to share their stories with her, Roman Muntener who laid out the book, and her husband, Lino Nadalin, who supports her in all her endeavours.
It's very important to Nadalin that the endowment fund which will be created at the Prince George Community Foundation using the proceeds from the book sales will keep giving back to non-profits that the seniors featured in the book dedicate their efforts to within the city.
"So I think it's the perfect fit," Nadalin said.
