Leaders of the Cochrane community and organizers of the two biggest tournament fundraisers in town, Dianne and Kelly Kimmett, were awarded Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medals in the Citizen Community Builders category at a ceremony held in Calgary on Dec. 4.
The Kimmett family has continuously advocated and supported distracted driving legislation in Alberta after the tragic death of their daughter, Lindsay Kimmett, in 2008.
Through an organization carrying on her legacy, the Lindsay Kimmett Memorial Foundation, over $3 million dollars has been contributed to local and international projects.
Although they were awarded medals for their work, both members of the Kimmett family were not aware they had been nominated up until they received a letter in the mail.
“This came out of the blue,” Kelly said. “We didn’t know who nominated us and we didn’t know until we arrived at the ceremony.”
Upon arriving to the ceremony, mayor Jeff Genung greeted the Kimmetts and informed them that he, alongside other members of Cochrane town council, had nominated them.
“He said that it wasn’t just him, but something had come up in town council,” Kelly said. “I think Morgan Nagel brought it forward, and the council decided they wanted to nominate Dianne and myself.”
As organizer for the Monumental Tournament of Aces golf tournament and the Kimmett Cup pond hockey tournament, Kelly said receiving the award has been humbling. He added it demonstrates the support for their daughter’s legacy in Cochrane.
“We needed to carry on the great things that she would have done in her life and made that decision from day one after she passed away and continue to do so with the support from the community,” Kelly said.
“None of this would have happened without the people of Cochrane and surrounding area, the participants, [and] the volunteers who looked after us the day we got home after she passed away, right up until today.”
Dianne said that although it is a huge honour to receive the award, both she and Kelly believe there are many Cochranites who also deserve an award for their work in the community.
“I would say I’m very humbled by it because I know that there are many great people in this town,” she said.
She added that although they have been able to accomplish great things through The Lindsay Kimmett Memorial Foundation, the success has been a tremendous group effort by the community at large.
“We have always had the backing of this community and we had a ton of support from friends, family, and even strangers,” Dianne said. “So, we certainly don’t do this alone and we’re very thankful for the support we get from the community.”
Moving forward, both members of the Kimmett family vowed they intend to continue upholding the legacy of their daughter in the years to come.
“Definitely what it accomplished is far beyond our wildest dreams from when this first started,” said Dianne.
“It’s sad, but it’s also an honour. And the events like the Monumental Tournament of Aces and Kimmitt Cup are certainly events where we feel Lindsay present with us. She was about goodness and there’s a whole lot of goodness that goes into those events.”
With no intentions of leaving town anytime soon, the Kimmetts will continue their work as proud members of the Cochrane community.
“I feel like we live in the best town in the world,” Dianne said. “I truly do. We’ve lived here since 1986, we’ve seen it change, but it remains a strong community to be a part of. And to be a part of the growth involved in the community is a great thing.”
“We hope to stay here for a long, long time,” Kelly agreed. “We’ve been here for nearly 40 years and moving forward, we hope to carry on Lindsay’s legacy and help as many people and organizations as we can.”
