The Kelowna Chamber is adding four honorary mentions to its Top Forty Under 40 Program presented by BDO. Top 40 judge Dr Eric Li, Associate Professor in the UBC Okanagan Faculty of Management, suggested the Chamber recognize the contributions made by health care workers in the past few months with this gesture. Read the full release here, and dedication poem by Dr. Li's former student, and UBCO Alumnus Patience Spinoza Okuku can be found below.
Unsung Heroes and heroines – by Patience Spinoza Okuku, UBCO Alumnus
When our grandchildren ask us about 2020,
We shall tell them about how,
When everything stopped…
When everything closed…
When everyone worked and studied from home,
Some heroes and heroines braved the unknown.
We took a step back,
They took a step forward.
Tempers high… at our worst behavior
Afraid we all were,
Exemplified by the scarcity of toilet papers…
Yet boldly, selflessly, and fearlessly these ladies and gentlemen pushed on
Mask marks,
Overtime shifts,
Generous as before, they smiled on…comforting those they encountered
Risking their own safety and that of their families
Reassuring us that there is hope
Leading the way
If ever your sacrifice went unnoticed or you felt less appreciated,
We are sorry
Pardon the follies of our past that took your effort for granted
We owe everything to you
We have seen who we all cannot do without
Because while we retracted,
You boldly advanced
Facing an enemy unlike any other – cunning, uncouth, invisible enemy
You are at the core of our society.
You are human like the rest of us,
With hearts and hurts, fears and dears.
Amid our flickering worst, you allowed your very glittering best…
Reminding us who really mattered in our society.
To the faces behind the masks and the gentle souls behind the gloves,
We salute you!
For you are the unsung HEROES and HEROINES!
You are the real MVPs of our lives!