Selflessness is being honoured in Langley Friday at a private dinner for 175 or so at a local golf course.
It’s an event to recognize Langley’s unsung heroes, those who are doing random acts of kindness with no ulterior motive, the program’s founder shared with the Langley Advance.
Encompass Support Services Society is the forefront organization behind this new effort. But like the heroes being recognized later this week, the ‘instigator’ of Langley’s Hidden Heroes, doesn’t want any credit and has insisted on remaining anonymous.
Langley’s Hidden Heroes (LHH) is designed specifically to acknowledge individuals who are making a difference in this community – but they’re people who don’t seek credit, fanfare, or even acknowledgment, said Mr. Anonymous.
It’s much less about the community and much more about the people who always put others before themselves, shared the silent founder.
“It’s for kind and gentle people who extend themselves,” he added, noting that numerous nominations have come in and 11 people will personally be thanked for their efforts this week.
“We’ve had some pretty impressive nominees,” he said.
Very intentionally, there are no dignitaries invited to the dinner, emphasized the founder. It’s about the guests – who he called the “under belly of the community” – who deserve to be thanked. And each of them have been allowed to invite a handful of loved ones to celebrate with them.
“It’s about recognizing them because they are the most giving and open” people in the community. “They’re the caregivers… They’re the selfless, unsung heroes in Langley who never do what they do for the recognition, but because they have an open heart.”
There are a lot of recognition forums out there to honour people in the forefront of volunteering in Langley, but the founder hopes this effort will be different.
“It’s an evening about celebrating pure kindness and kind acts,” he said, anxious and excited to share this experience with his children and grandchildren.
Successful nominees will not be given a personal trophy or awarded cash, but rather they will be provided with some additional resources that will enable them to can continue to do the work they’re doing, the founder explained. Each specific award will be tailored to the recipient and good work they do for others.
The intention, the creator said, is to have the Langley Hidden Heroes evening once a year, and the goal is to develop recognize at least 10 people annual – including youth.
“There are people in our community who do care and do things selflessly and without any quest for gratification,” he said.
These are people “whose personal efforts have made a significant impact on our community, all while inspiring and encouraging others to do the same.”
For more information about nominating people for future, or to learn more about the organization, visit hiddenhero.ca.
“If you know a big-hearted compassionate humanitarian,” Langley Hidden Heroes wants to hear about them, their inspiring story, and how they can help them continue to make a positive impact on the fellow residents of Langley.