KATRINA BOGUSKI
Freelance
PIKWAKANAGAN – The Pareto Principle is a power law of distribution named for Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. Commonly referred to as the 80/20 rule, the dynamic can be observed in many areas of life from business and economics to sociology. It is seen in statements like “80 percent of your business comes from 20 per cent of your customers.” In the case of organizations dependant on volunteer labour, it is often the case that 80 per cent of the work is done by 20 percent of the volunteers.
When the concept of Pareto distribution is again applied to that top 20 per cent, it usually breaks that group down to its top 20 per cent. What you are left with is a class of extraordinary volunteers who are responsible for accomplishing many things due to their dedication, influence, expertise and significant time commitment to a cause. These volunteers are sometimes referred to as “super volunteers”. One super volunteer who has contributed a lot to local culture is Jamie Sarazin.
Sarazin was recently recognized as a winner of the June Callwood Outstanding Achievement Award for volunteerism in 2021. The award is issued by the Ontario Government and the list of winners, which consisted of eight volunteer organizations as well as 15 individuals including Sarazin, was announced in a press release from the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism.
The statement quoted Parm Gill, Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism as saying, “The past year has been challenging for us all and it’s impressive to see how volunteers and organizations stepped up to support their neighbours and communities.” Gill added, “On behalf of all Ontarians, I thank our June Callwood award recipients for their kindness, compassion, and selfless commitment to helping others and for making our province such a great place to live.”
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