The Community Spirit Arts Award recognizes an individual or organization who, through their volunteerism, has contributed to nurturing and enhancing the arts in Oakville. This year, Leslie Ashworth of Suite Melody Care and Erin Zhang were recipients of the arts award.
Erin Zhang
Erin Zhang has made significant volunteer contributions to the community and has demonstrated strong leadership. As the co-founder and executive director of Oakville STARZ, she has managed many activities and events, including coordinating regular performances at senior centres, organizing the Chinese New Year Celebration Galas and leading fundraising events. During the pandemic, she helped Oakville STARZ transition to virtual.
Leslie Ashworth – Suite Melody Care
The inspiration behind Suite Melody Care came when Founder & Chair Leslie Ashworth was performing for patients on the rehabilitation floor at the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. Seeing the smiles the music brought to their faces, Leslie decided to start an organization giving other young musicians the opportunity to bring joy through music to the elderly and to hospital patients.
Suite Melody Care has three chapters in Canada and the U.S. and has reached over 2,000 audience members to date in hospitals, retirement residences, and long-term care facilities. In the past year alone, SMC worked with 31 volunteers who contributed more than 100 hours of time to create and share beautiful performances.
