Nominations are open for the 21st annual Fraser Valley Cultural Diversity Awards.

The event is presented by Archway Community Services in partnership with Mission and Chilliwack Community Services as well as the Langley New Directions English Language School.

The Fraser Valley Cultural Diversity Awards started in 2003 at King’s Crossing to recognize organizations and individuals that embrace diversity and inclusion in the community. Since then, it’s grown into a sell-out event welcoming over 350 people annually.

Concepts of cultural diversity include age, gender, abilities, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion and socio-economic background.

Past winners have been businesses, programs, initiatives, schools and leaders that work towards building an inclusive community, providing their clients and customers with accessible environments, and having workforces reflective of their community.

Individuals are eligible for the Champion of Diversity award or the Youth Champion of Diversity award.

Organizations and individuals from Abbotsford, Mission, Langley, Chilliwack, and Hope are encouraged to apply or nominate others by January 19. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on March 7.

Categories are: Inclusive Environment, Marketing, Innovative Initiative, Champion of Diversity (youth and adult) and Effective Human Resources Strategies.

The Fraser Valley Cultural Diversity Awards is a not-for-profit event relying on sponsor funds to keep the event going each year and ticket prices affordable for our nominees. We are grateful for the continued support of Prospera Credit Union, Archway Interpretation & Translation Services, and the Abbotsford School District – amongst others – for making this year’s celebration possible.

Nominations can be submitted online at the Cultural Diversity Awards website. Please contact Jade Lehti at cda@archway.ca or 604-308-5673 for any questions regarding the awards or nominations.

The awards ceremony takes place on Thursday, March 7 at the Clarion Hotel & Conference Centre in Abbotsford.

Tickets will be available in January online. Sign up on diversityawards.ca to be the first to know.