Highlights from Andra Takacs’ acceptance speech:

Je suis très heureuse et honorée de recevoir ce prix ce soir.

I never met Cliff Hall but am honoured to be recognized here tonight and to follow in his footsteps.

For almost 25 years I have been involved in this mentoring movement, with the goal of supporting youth to help realize their individual potential.

My journey to help fill a Big Sisters programming void in Toronto put me in contact with dozens of inspiring volunteers within the Big Sisters Association of Ontario, Big Brothers of Metropolitan Toronto, Youthlink (a.k.a. the Big Sisters Association of Metropolitan Toronto), Big Brothers of Canada and later Big Sisters of Canada.

When I look back on the past 25 years, I am gratified that I have had a small part to play in creating a BS agency in Toronto and providing service to thousands of girls in our community.  I am also thrilled to be able to encourage dozens of youth and their families to seriously consider post-secondary education and to help them “dream big” and pay for their education.

But nothing during this time has given me greater joy and satisfaction than my three Big Sister matches.  Kurainna, Chantal & Charlotte have immeasurably enriched my life and made me a better person. 

(You may have guessed from the changing fashion and hair styles in the photos that it has been a long time since the matches were initially made). Kurainna and Chantal particularly have been in my life for a long time - even longer than my husband, Bryan.  

While the Cliff Hall Award seems to be a type of a lifetime achievement award, you can all be assured that I am a long way from being finished with the Big Sisters (and Brothers) mentoring movement.  As the Chair of the Toronto Centennial Planning Committee, I look forward to helping to plan the celebrations honouring the achievements of the past 100 years.  And I look forward to continuing to help youth in Toronto become all they can be.  Thank you.