EIA's 2005 Awards Event
Almost four hundred guests from Vancouver Island, the lower mainland, and the interior of BC, gathered at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel in downtown Vancouver to celebrate the 2005 Ethics in Action (EIA) Awards.
Representatives from the public and private sector, joined sponsors, past-nominees, finalists and award recipients in honouring BC's leaders in corporate social responsibility for 2005.
David Hughes, Chair of the newly formed, BC Ethics in Action Society, opened the evening with an introduction of the 17 Award finalists for 2005, and gave a brief history of EIA, demonstrating EIA's efforts to 'walk the talk' in planning and executing the Awards.
Elaine Duvall, Chair, Vancity Board of Directors, followed. As title sponsor, Vancity is committed to supporting socially and environmentally responsible businesses in BC. Ms. Duval also announced Vancity's commitment to achieving carbon neutral operations by 2010, and talked about the charitable organizations that EIA was honouring for their support of Ethics in Action.
Guests dined on a delicious four-course organic meal, sponsored, in part, by Pro Organics.
After dinner, Kevin Newman, of Global National News, took to the stage to host the Awards ceremony.
Both The Vancouver Sun and Global TV presented the awards for Community Care Award, Large Business and Small/ Medium Business.
The Environmental Excellence Awards for both Large and Small/ Medium enterprises were presented by Terasen and Fairmont Waterfront Hotels.
Representatives from Western Economic Diversification Canada, and Vancity presented the awards for Overall Leadership in the Large Business and Small/ Medium Business sectors.
The final award of the evening, Individual Impact, was presented by Business Objects.
Recipients then sat down with Kevin Newman for talk-show style interviews, revealling wonderful stories of the risks, challenges, benefits, and rewards gained by these leaders in ethical business.
Marc Smith, Chair of the EIA Organizing Committee closed the evening, thanking volunteers from the organizing and selections committees, as well as event volunteers and contractors.
Press interviewed award recipients while guests mingled around a spectacular Chef's Dessert Buffet.
The 2006 Ethics in Action Awards promises to bring more inspiring stories of businesses doing the right thing through ethics in action in BC business today.
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