March 12, 2026

Congratulations to our 2025 Special Award Winners!

Each year United Way Niagara is proud to recognize the outstanding achievements of local partners and supporters with yearly campaign awards. The following award winners have shown tremendous support and dedication to strengthening our community over the past year.

Anita Robertson Legacy Award
Ambassador of the Year
Community Builder Award
Community Partner Award
Corporation of the Year
Event of the Year
Municipal Challenge Award
Unsung Hero Award

Anita Robertson Legacy Award

This memorial award is bestowed annually upon an individual or individuals that embody Anita’s kind heart and community spirit and demonstrate an unwavering commitment to our cause. We are proud to announce that the 2025 Anita Robertson Legacy Award is being presented to the members of The Anita Project. What began as a heartfelt way to honour a friend and community leader has grown over the past eight years into a powerful initiative that continues to expand in reach and impact, engaging more volunteers, supporting more partners, and uplifting more individuals and families each year through hands-on initiatives. Rooted in the values Anita lived by—compassion, generosity, and a deep commitment to community—the members have transformed grief into purpose, ensuring her legacy lives on not only in name but through meaningful, hands-on action.

Ambassador of the Year

The Ambassador of the Year Award is presented to an individual who serves as the driving force behind their workplace campaign—championing United Way’s mission, leading by example, and carrying the spirit of giving throughout their organization This year we are excited to present the 2025 Ambassador of the Year Award to Annie Beck of City of Port Colborne. Annie’s leadership as Workplace Ambassador for the City of Port Colborne has been instrumental in building a campaign that continues to grow year after year. Through her enthusiasm, consistent engagement, and genuine passion for United Way Niagara, she has fostered a strong culture of giving and involvement within her workplace while leading by example through her own volunteerism.

Community Builder Award

The Community Builder Award is presented to an organization or group that has made significant strides in building their community, making Niagara a better place for everyone. United Way is excited to present the 2025 Community Builder of the Year Award to CIBC. CIBC’s generous support played a key role in expanding access to safe, enriching after-school programming for local children and youth. Alongside their financial contributions, CIBC teammates demonstrated a strong culture of philanthropy through an engaged employee giving campaign and meaningful, hands-on support that helped build confidence, spark curiosity, and foster a sense of belonging among young people in our community.

Community Partner Award

The Community Partner Award is presented to an organization that demonstrates outstanding dedication and commitment to United Way and the Niagara community through deep rooted partnerships.

United Way is thrilled to award Niagara Regional Labour Council with the 2025 Community Partnership Award. Niagara Regional Labour Council exemplifies the true spirit of a community partner through their consistent and meaningful engagement with United Way Niagara initiatives. From sponsoring Period Promise and supporting related social events that raise awareness around an important local need, to taking hands-on action through Backpacks for Kids by bringing delegates together to pack backpacks for local families, their impact is both generous and tangible.

Corporation of the Year

The Corporation of the Year award criteria is not only based on campaign achievements, but focuses on sponsorship, volunteerism, corporate support, and most importantly, outstanding commitment.

United Way is excited to present the 2025 Corporation of the Year Award to MNP! MNP has shown exceptional leadership and dedication in driving their workplace campaign, earning them the Corporation of the Year distinction. Through engaging in-office activities and hands-on involvement in the community garden, supported by their ambassadors, MNP created meaningful opportunities for staff to connect with United Way Niagara’s mission, fostering collaboration, participation, and a genuine sense of community.

Unsung Hero Award

The unsung hero award is presented to an organization or individual who supports United Way while working quietly behind the scenes and whose contributions may otherwise go unnoticed.

United Way is excited to present the 2025 Unsung Hero Award to ServiceMaster Restore of Niagara! ServiceMaster Restore of Niagara demonstrates outstanding community leadership through both valued event sponsorship and meaningful initiatives that directly support United Way Niagara. Their commitment goes far beyond financial contributions, with hands-on involvement and genuine pride shown through their energetic participation in events like the Campaign Kick-Off, golf tournament, and other fundraisers.

Municipal Challenge

The Municipal Challenge is a competition between the cities and towns in the Niagara Region to engage employees to increase participation in the United Way campaign.

Congratulations to the City of Port Colborne for winning the 2025 Municipal Challenge. For the third year in a row, this year’s champion has held onto the title and, of course, the trophy!

Event of the Year

The Event of the Year Award is presented to an organization or individual that organized an outstanding event or initiative in support of United Way.

This year we are delighted to present the award to Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario. ETFO’s Annual Trivia Night is a shining example of community spirit in action—an energetic and highly anticipated tradition that continues to grow in both participation and impact each year. With creativity, inclusivity, and a strong sense of connection at its core, the event brings people together through laughter and friendly competition while raising meaningful funds in direct support of United Way Niagara.