Barbara A. Gebuhr is well known as the former principal of Riverside-Albert and has been a key player in saving the school. Her work extends far beyond the expectations of a school principal. Even after her retirement, Gebuhr remains extensively involved with community work. From working on the Community Market to researching and lobbying for Early Childhood Education Project for the school, her initiatives make a significant contribution to the community.
Elizabeth “Beth” McLaughlin will be honoured posthumously. Advocate, mentor, founder, teacher, activist (or active citizen, as she preferred)... those are the many hats Beth wore during her full life. Her accomplishments are many, including the co-founding of Crossroads for Women, to her work with the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, for which she received the Milton F. Gregg Conservation Award in 2011. A fervent believer in the development of sustainable communities, she has been a positive force not only for Southeast New Brunswick, but to the entire province. She passed away in February 2015.
“The committee that chose this year’s recipients felt that both Barbara and Beth embodied the Molly Kool spirit”, says Jane Chrysostom, Board member of the Molly Kool Centre. “What they have in common with Molly is they didn’t do all that work for recognition, but simply because to them, it needs to be done. That was Molly’s way.”
The Molly Kool Award has been established to recognize women in the southeastern New Brunswick area for outstanding contributions to the community at large in such areas as arts, culture and environment. It is named after North America’s first female sea captain, who was from Alma.
The Board of Directors of the Molly Kool Centre Inc. has partnered with co-sponsors Armour Transportation and the City of Moncton to the award program for a total of five years.
Submitted by Jane Chrysostom, Molly Kool Centre
Fleet launch website:
http://www.connectingalbertcounty.org/culture--heritage/alma-fleet-launch