Rob Rongve is a co-winner of the citizen of the decade award. (supplied photo/Rob Rongve)

By Keaton Brown

A decade of excellence

Rob Rongve named as co-winner of citizen of the decade

Feb 20, 2020 | 2:00 PM

Rob Rongve has been named as one of the Citizens of the Decade by Discovery Co-op, the North Battlefords Lion’s Club and 1050 CJNB. He joins Ben Christiansen as the co-winner of this award.

Rongve’s nomination package was so extensive it included nearly a dozen letters of recommendations from organizations he has been a part of through volunteering and fundraising.

Rongve was instrumental to the Battlefords Trade & Education Centre (BTEC) fundraising for their new building. Along with his team at the My Community Cares Committee, they raised over 2 million dollars for the BTEC from November 2014 to November 2015.

In a letter supporting Rongve’s nomination, Ronda Johnson and Mona Leece, who are with the BTEC, said he always goes above and beyond to help people in need.

“Rob Rongve is the type of citizen who sees a need and goes about figuring out how to fix it, fundraise for it, or raise awareness about it. Hearing how desperately we needed a new building, Rob approached us about fundraising for our much needed new facility in 2013,” they said.

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Rongve has always been a strong supporter of the arts community within the Battlefords. He volunteered his time on the Board of Directors for the Dekker Centre for the Performing Arts where he laid the foundation for the facility.

Kali Weber, general manager of the Dekker Centre, said Rongve is always looking to build people up and reward their hard work.

“When the Dekker Centre first opened, I rented the Gordon Tootoosis Theatre to present The Laramie Project, a play about the tragic murder of a young man in Laramie, Wyoming. Rob attended the show, was so moved by the production and talent of the students, that he offered to pay the rental of the Dekker Centre so that we could perform the play a second time for the community,” she said.

In 2018 the Battlefords hosted the Saskatchewan Winter Games (SWG). Rongve was instrumental in both landing the event and co-chairing the SWG Host Committee.

Donna Johnston-Genest, executive director of Rivers West District for Sport, Culture & Recreation Inc., said that Rongve was their go-to guy for everything they needed in the Battlefords for the event.

“Rob’s involvement with the 2018 SWG was instrumental in making those games one of the best this province has seen. I have been involved with the SWG program since 1996 and can truthfully say that North Battleford put on a fantastic event led by Rob who co-chaired the SWG Host Committee,” she said.

Three years ago, the Living Sky School Division (LSSD) started a project called The Class of 2030. The purpose of the project was to bring families, friends, staff, and community members together to celebrate the kindergarten students who will be the graduating class of 2030.

Brenda Vickers and Tonya Lehman from the LSSD said Rongve and his team from RBC Dominion Securities attended the event and decided they wanted to adopt the class and stay connected with them on their journey to graduation.

Rob Rongve with students from McKitrick School. (supplied photo/Mark Richardson)

“The most precious gifts Rob has given these students is not financial, but is the gift of time and hope. He has spent time in their classroom reading books, hosting lunches and creating memories. Students and their parents never pass by the Royal Bank without excitedly proclaiming ‘That’s where Rob works’,” they said.

“He does nice things to us; he always smiles and gives me a high-five,” said Scotty, a student at McKitrick School.

The Rob and Nora Family Fund recently initiated the Hazee Youth Art Awards in honour of Hazel Asmussen who was a friend and artist. Leah Garven, curator at the Chapel Gallery and Allen Sapp Gallery said the awards were a game changer for many young artists who usually work in isolation.

Rob Rongve with a winner of a Hazee Award (supplied photo/Mark Richardson)

“Rob Rongve is proactive in advocating for the important needs of our community. He instills a sense of pride and infectious enthusiasm, and he motivates us and calls us into action. He truly is a catalyst for positive change and his contributions of the last decade will have significant impact to the lives and quality of life for generations to come,” she said.

One of the projects that Rongve said he will remember fondly is the fundraising campaign for the CUplex facilities. He said that it highlighted the importance of perseverance and staying focused on a goal.

“We thought it would take six months and it ended up taking three years to get it done. Whenever I go there, or I hear people talk about the CUplex I am very proud of helping out in some way to make that a reality for the community,” Rongve said.

Mark Richardson, who helped nominate Rongve, said he is constantly taken back by how much time he devotes to helping others.

“For a guy as busy as he is, he gives a lot of his time. I think he just genuinely wants what’s best for the Battlefords,” he said. “He is always looking for what he can do to help this community and make it a better place,” he added.

When asked about what drives him to do the many different things he does in the community, Rongve said, “I firmly believe that whatever you give, it multiplies and it comes back to you and I would say that is the best part of everything I’ve been involved with.”

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Keaton.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow