Baljot Rai was in an enviable position this year — he was offered more scholarships than he could accept.
Rai, who graduated from St. Paul’s High School last month, is the recipient of the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award and a Loran scholarship.
The former award, named for the Winnipegger who embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research, is worth $28,000.
Baljot Rai, who graduated from St. Paul’s High School in June, received a Terry Fox Humanitarian Award and a Loran scholarship. He volunteers at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
It’s awarded annually to 14 youth across the country who exemplify Fox’s humanitarian ideals by volunteering and giving back to their communities.
The latter award, worth $100,000, is given to 36 graduating students who embody the Loran Scholars Foundation’s core values of character, service and leadership.
Rai is the only Manitoban to receive these awards this year.
The money will cover his tuition and living expenses as he pursues studies at the University of British Columbia starting this fall.
“It’s life changing and it’s an absolutely great honour,” says Rai, 17. “The entirety of my four years (in university), all expenses are going to be covered with these scholarships. That’s obviously wonderful because it gives me more free time to invest back into the community.”
The list of Rai’s contributions to the community is already impressive.
He founded the One in All project, which supplies religious, spiritual and self-improvement resources to inmates in Manitoba prisons who practise minority faiths.
Rai and the eight youth collaborating with him on the project have been working with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to expand the reach of the project to Indigenous inmates.
Rai was inspired to start One in All after a man at his gurdwara who had been incarcerated told him about the dearth of spiritual resources available to Sikhs in prison.
“For prisoners of minority faiths, it’s disheartening to know they still face such large inequities in this day and age when we’ve been able to make so much progress as a society,” Rai says.
Volunteer opportunities
The following is a list of volunteer opportunities for Winnipeg and surrounding areas. For more information about these listings, contact the organization directly. Volunteer Manitoba does not place volunteers with organizations but can help people find opportunities. To learn more about its programs and services, go to www.volunteermanitoba.ca or call 204-477-5180.
Special Olympics Manitoba needs volunteers for the Brandon multi-sport day on Aug. 10. Positions include softball scorekeeper, soccer scorekeeper, soccer timer and golf scorer. Must be 16 or older, with transportation — if needed — to get to the venues. The time commitment is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with lunch provided. Apply online at http://wfp.to/Cww or ewedlake@specialolympics.mb.ca by Aug. 8.
Green Kids Inc. needs volunteers for its Bikes and Circuses event. This year’s show will feature a team of Winnipeg theatre, dance, music and circus artists at Whittier Park from Aug. 7 to Aug. 11. Roles include box office volunteers and stagehands. Flexible time commitments are available. Volunteers will receive a free ticket to any performance they are not helping with. Email daina@greenkids.com by Aug. 11.
Prairie Strides, a charitable organization offering adaptive horse riding for children with disabilities aged 5 to 15, needs volunteers for the 10-week fall session on Monday evenings at West Wind Stable. Roles include side-walkers, horse leaders and physio/occupational therapists. Training will be provided. Email exedir@prairiestrides.com by Aug. 16.
Hood and Dagger Productions, a new not-for-profit community theatre company, needs more board members, particularly people with expertise in accounting, marketing or fundraising. The bylaws include a director indemnity clause, and director and officer insurance is in effect. Incorporated in January, the company’s mandate is to build community through community theatre. It strives to make shows community events instead of only theatre. Cast, crew and board members are volunteers. Email HoodandDagger@outlook.com by Aug. 23.
The Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba needs volunteers for MAD Camp, a two-week wellness-centred summer camp for youth aged 12-17 in Winnipeg. This camp focuses on mental health, music, art and dance, offering a nurturing environment for young people to enhance their skills and receive peer support. Volunteers will help with various activities such as art sessions, off-site adventures and maintaining positive connections with campers. Skills required include English proficiency, experience with youth and a background in mental health. Volunteers will gain valuable experience in peer support, mental health support, leadership and conflict resolution. Must be 18 or older, available for daytime shifts and have clear criminal record and child-abuse registry checks. Email volunteer@moodmb.ca by Aug. 28.
Shelter Movers — a national charity providing free moving and storage services to people and families fleeing abuse — needs onboarding co-ordinators to support its expansion into Winnipeg. As the first point of contact for new volunteer applicants, the co-ordinators will communicate with applicants, conduct screening interviews and support them during the onboarding process to ensure a positive experience. This is a remote position for adults, with an ongoing commitment of about four hours per week. Email volunteer.winnipeg@sheltermovers.com by Aug. 15.
Inclusion Winnipeg needs volunteers to join its board of directors. The registered charity has been dedicated to making life better for children and adults living with intellectual disabilities for more than 60 years. Volunteers must be passionate about creating inclusive communities and willing to contribute their expertise and energy. Enthusiastic and dedicated people from diverse backgrounds and various skills are needed. Successful candidates should have a commitment to the organization’s mission and be able to participate in monthly meetings. Apply to executive director Janet Forbes at jforbes@inclusionwinnipeg.org by Aug. 16.
Lord Roberts Community Centre needs event-day volunteers for its Neighbour by Neighbour Music Festival on Sept. 7. Roles include 50/50 ticket sellers, canteen assistants and runners, order-takers and kitchen helpers. Apply at http://wfp.to/CmS by Sept. 4.
The Leftovers Foundation, a food rescue charity with a mission of reducing food waste and increasing access to food for people facing barriers, is gearing up for Home Harvest. The program facilitates the rescue of homegrown food. Community members can participate by signing up through their website or mobile app to become a donor (grower) or volunteer to complete routes. Growers with excess produce can submit a request any time, and volunteers can harvest and deliver the produce to local service agencies and keep a portion for themselves. Volunteers can sign up in groups or as individuals. Email homeharvest@rescuefood.ca or go to rescuefood.ca for more information. Apply by Oct. 30.
The Canadian Red Cross needs volunteers. The Red Cross can show you how to help when disaster strikes. Go to http://wfp.to/0pE, email volunteer@redcross.ca or call 1-844-818-2155.
Working for justice is a theme that runs throughout Rai’s volunteer commitments.
Throughout high school, he organized truth and reconciliation initiatives within his school and community.
He served as secretary of his school’s human rights club and he helped lead its Youth in Philanthropy club, which granted $25,000 to community organizations over four years.
He teaches Sunday school at his gurdwara and volunteers at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
“It’s hard for me to see an issue and be quiet about it when I know there’s something I can be doing about it,” he says.
Rai is a kind-hearted, driven and hard-working person, says Anna McGill, a guidance counsellor at St. Paul’s who oversees the school’s human rights club.
“He’s… very mature and is very good at expressing his passions,” McGill says. “Every time we work together I feel humbled next to him because he’s worked so hard and accomplished so much. It’s all very, very well deserved.”
In addition to human rights, Rai is passionate about science.
For the past two years, he has researched Lake Winnipeg’s blue-green algae problem and developed solutions. Along the way, he’s shared his research with experts at the local, provincial and national levels.
Rai will continue that research as he pursues a double major in oceanography and biology at UBC. Interfaith studies will be his minor.
“We as youth have so much potential and if we believe in it, we can do more than we or anyone else can ever imagine,” he says. “I want to encourage youth … to stand up against what we hear and we see is wrong and isn’t equitable and take action.”
If you know a special volunteer, please contact aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca.
Aaron Epp
Reporter
Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron.
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