Lieutenant Yvonne Melo is nominated for her involvement in organizing local Remembrance Day ceremonies as well as her dedication to the local Air Cadets.
For 19 years, Lt Melo has been involved with the local Air Cadet Squadron as a parent volunteer, staff volunteer, civilian instructor and then a Cadet Instructor Cadre Officer. As Squadron Administrator, she is routinely involved in planning activities, however, she goes above and beyond her responsibilities when it comes to organizing the Remembrance Day ceremonies.
Her numerous volunteer hours include planning the event itinerary, booking musicians, speakers and pastors; liaising with the Fraser Lake Legion to acquire wreaths; confirming attendance of VIPs, booking facilities and equipment; coordinating parade participation by local Canadian Rangers, Royal Canadian Air Cadets, an RCMP escort and ensuring logistics run smoothly. She has also engaged with the Girl Guides of Canada and the local minor hockey association to engage them as active participants in the ceremony as wreath-bearers.
She organizes food and refreshments served at the community centre following the ceremony. With few local Veterans and Legion members in the Vanderhoof area, her work is essential to running a successful ceremony. Without a representative Veterans organization, Vanderhoof has successfully executed an indoor and outdoor Remembrance Day ceremony each year, with between 500 and 1,000 attendees at the ceremonies, all due to Lt Melo’s efforts.