OTTAWA, ON -April 20, 2010- National Volunteer Week, which runs from April 18 to 24, recognizes the hard work and achievements of volunteers across the country. It serves as an opportunity for the Government of Canada to salute the valuable contribution volunteers make to our communities.

Greg Kerr, Member of Parliament for West Nova, made the following statement in the House of Commons in recognition of National Volunteer Week:

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Volunteer Week, a week in appreciation of the millions of Canadians across the country who volunteer.

In fact, 12.5 million Canadians give 2.1 billion hours of their time to volunteer each year - that’s equivalent to over one million full-time jobs!

Our government fully recognizes the invaluable contributions volunteers make to our communities and to our country.

That’s why we are creating a new Prime Minister’s Award for Volunteerism and why we added $10 million to the New Horizons for Seniors Program to support projects that help seniors mentor the next generation.

Mr. Speaker, to the local volunteers throughout my constituency of West Nova, and to volunteers across the country, I would like to say a very big thank you.

Thank you for coaching our sports teams, for collecting donations for important causes, and for cleaning up our local parks. Thank you for making Canada a better place to live.”