Halerewich named OAS volunteer of year

After many years of involvement with the Alberta Professional Chuckwagon and Chariot Association, Joe Halerewich was honoured with the Olds Agricultural Society's volunteer of the year for all his involvement with the chuckwagon committee last year.

Halerewich's involvement with the OAS goes back several years, volunteering first with the rodeo committee before the rodeo was disbanded following the 2009 fair.

“He took on a yeoman's job there and did an awful pile of work in about six weeks (for the chuckwagon event last year). Pretty well everything that he could have done I asked him to do, he did, and in just an exemplary way. He's a great volunteer,” said Jack McCurdy, past OAS president, and chairman of last year's chuckwagon committee, who introduced Halerewich.

McCurdy said Halerewich was also a great supporter of the rodeo before it was disbanded.

Halerewich is a former pony chuckwagon racer who raced in Olds for many years before retiring from the sport in 2005. After his retirement, he kept up his involvement with the sport by becoming a director of the Alberta Professional Chuckwagon and Chariot Association.

Halerewich said he wanted to remain active in the community and decided that volunteering with the OAS would be a good way to promote both chuckwagon racing and other OAS endeavours.

“The Ag. Society has a good committee. They're involved with cattle and involved with all types of horses. I wanted to promote thoroughbred racing so I'm involved with that,” he said.

Halerewich said it was a huge honour to be named volunteer of the year. He said he wasn't aware that he was going to be the recipient until he showed up at the Chautauqua on Saturday evening and found his name in the program.

“It's a big honour, especially with the … theme (of) derby racing. There's so many volunteers and to be volunteer of the year … I was quite proud to have that privilege to be volunteer of the year,” he said.