200 Certificates of Appreciation are presented to unsung heroes
By Aideen O'Flaherty
TALLAGHT Community Council (TCC) gave 200 Certificates of Appreciation to people in the community in recent weeks, in recognition of the positive impact they have on the area.
The community group decided to do Certificates of Appreciation this year as their annual awards ceremony, Tallaght Person of the Year, had to be cancelled as a result of the pandemic.
Thomas Davis GAA Club members Anthony O’Toole, Jordan O’Reilly and Evan Walsh received appreciation awards
Instead, the group posted the certificates out to people who were nominated by the community, then posted photos of the recipients with their certificates on social media.
Tara De Buitléar, PRO of TCC, told The Echo: “[The recipients] traversed all strata of life in Tallaght – from our postmen, supermarket staff, security guards, lollipop men and women, to sports teams, choirs and environmental groups.
“2020 really is the year where the world reset who the real heroes are – some may have been in the sidelines before when it came to awards, but not this year.
“For TCC, 2020 was a continuation of our value of celebrating the community unsung heroes who don’t court awards or accolades.
“They give without seeking praise. So, it was crucial to us that we continue to honour them in 2020, but in a safe and responsible way.
“This year was another first for TCC – no nomination and judging process and a glamorous in-person awards ceremony to honour our unsung heroes.
“This year was about allowing all residents in Tallaght to show their appreciation to those who they felt deserved it in a more personal way, through the online Certificate of Appreciation process.
“The campaign was needed and appreciated after a tough year of distancing from each other, and most annual events and parties falling by the wayside due to restrictions.
“Every recipient TCC gave a certificate to was genuinely emotional – men, women, and children!”
Many people also printed off Certificates of Appreciation from The Echo’s website, echo.ie.
To find out more, and see photos of certificate recipients, follow Tallaght Community Council on Facebook.
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