Selen Alpay nominated for Citizen of the Year

The motto for the Canadian Tire-Prince George store is "caring for our community."

Selen Alpay has been the leader in demonstrating that motto in a 25-year career as a Canadian Tire owner in four different cities, including the last six here in Prince George. It's caring in so many ways that has led to Selen's nomination as 2013 Citizen of the Year.

Selen is currently a board member with the Elizabeth Fry Society, Habitat for Humanity and City of Prince George's Health Communities Committee. He is a past board member of the Baldy Hughes Therapeutic Community and a former board member and chair of the Northern Supportive Recovery Centre. He has contributed towards and helped raise funds for many of the city's most important fundraisers - Evening of Pink, Taste of India, BBBS Bowl For Kids, the Prince George Firefighters campaign for Muscular Dystrophy, JumpStart which raises funds for kids whose families can't afford to register in sports, YMCA Healthy Kids Day, Ride For Dad, Red Cross's Evening of Chocolate, the Heart and Stroke's Big Bike ride, the Razzle Dazzle Do for Cystic Fibrosis, the Fan the Flame Dinner for Pacific Sport, Spirt of the North's Festival of Trees, the Commonwealth Cup, the SPCA's Paws For A Cause, Relay For Life and Cops For Cancer.

On the sports front, Selen supported the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay visit to Prince George, the 2015 Canada Winter Games bid, youth baseball, youth soccer, minor hockey, ringette, lacrosse, the World Baseball Challenge and the Canadian Senior baseball Championship. He sponsors four free swims per year at the Prince George Aquatic Centers and a New Year's Day free skate at the Coliseum.

Some of the other groups that have benefited from Selen's generous sponsorship support include the Prince George Cougars, the Prince George Spruce Kings, Youth Around Prince George, the Prince George Shriners, the Salvation Army, St. Vincent De Paul, AimHi, RCMP Victim Services, the Canadian Mental Health Association, the Prince George Brain Injury Group, the Prince George Hospice House Society, the Spruce City Wildlife Association, Crimestoppers, Exploration Place and the Child Development Centre.

As one of Selen's nominators put it, "Selen doesn't just write a cheque, he gets involved". He serves as the MC at the YMCA Road Race and he can be often found at the Simon Fraser Lodge for weekly bingo and checkers. He'll even dance for charity. He won the 2102 Boogie with the Stars and helped raise $25,000 for the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation in the process. Selen Alpay is a solid gold dancer and a solid gold nominee for the 2013 Citizen of the Year.