Gary Martin was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2025 Best in Mount Pearl Awards this month. Outside his volunteer work with hockey and soccer , Martin is a frequent blood plasma donor. As of the most recent count, he has donated plasma over 400 times. City of Mount Pearl photo
By Mark Squibb
Longtime hockey and soccer organizer Gary Martin was among those celebrated for their contributions and achievements at the annual Best in Mount Pearl awards ceremony this month.
The awards, which are sponsored by the City, recognize citizens from all walks of life for their contributions to the community at large.
Martin, who has volunteered in Mount Pearl and beyond for well over 40 years, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Martin has coached players of all levels and calibers over the years and has served as Assistant Chef de Mission with the Canada Games since 2005 and currently serves as Chairperson of Venue Operations for the 2025 Canada Summer Games.
He is also an RCMP Deputy Fire Marshall, Frosty Festival committee member, and community safety advocate. On top of all that, Martin has donated blood over 400 times.
Martin has been awarded two Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medals and a 75 Years of Confederation Volunteer Community Services Medal for his volunteer efforts.
Sheri Philpott was awarded the Richard Levandier Citizen of The Year Award.
Philpott has volunteered with the 807 Mount Pearl Air Cadets for over two decades and recently joined the Kinette Club of Mount Pearl. In 2024-2025, she served on the Board of Directors for the Mount Pearl Frosty Festival, and currently volunteers for the 2025 Canada Summer Games.
Bryan Efford was awarded the Impact in Music, Arts & Culture award. Efford has been a member of the CLB Regimental Band since 1992 and now leads the Corps of Drums. From 1991 to 2014 he volunteered with the Mount Pearl Show Choir, and in 2004 founded The Music Collection Drumline, a province wide youth music program.
NewfoundSand Glass Recycling was awarded the Environmental Award. The not-for-profit collects clean glass jars and bottles that would otherwise end up in a landfill and crushes them into sand.
The Urban Agriculture Award went to The Masonic Park Community Garden. Overseen by a group of dedicated seniors, the garden boasts crops — including root vegetables, leafy greens, peas, beans, and herbs — specifically adapted to the province’s climate and cultivated using environmentally sustainable methods. The garden is designed with accessibility in mind, encouraging participation by folks of all ages and abilities.
The Mount Pearl Lions Club was named the Community Group of the Year. The Club, active since 1956, organizes the annual Santa Claus Parade, numerous Frosty Festival events, community cleanups, as well as collecting eyeglasses for redistribution locally and internationally. This year, the club partnered with Goulds Anglican Church to grow vegetables for those in need through the “Sowing the Seeds – Building Community” project.