The Prosperity Fund honoured Ann Godbold on Thursday with the 2010 Caregiver Appreciation Award at a soirée held at the National Arts Centre.

Godbold has been caring for and supporting her husband, Brian, who has suffered from multiple sclerosis for most of their 41-yearlong marriage. “It’s easier to give than to ask for help from others,” she explained away the sacrifices she’s made as a volunteer caregiver.

The award was presented by MPP Yasir Naqvi in front of some 250 attendees of the fundraiser for The Prosperity Long-Term Care Fund, a volunteer-run charity that creates a better quality of life for seniors in Ottawa.

The other award finalist was Rita Gudziunas-Mankowski and her sister, Nijole Gray, who provided around-the-clock care for their mother, Anele Gudziunas, for six-plus months. She passed away from ovarian cancer last August, and had previously looked after her own stroke-victim husband for 10 years.

On hand was Prosperity Fund founder and president Adam Nihmey, a senior business analyst with Harris Computer Systems, as well as some of the non-profit’s other advisory council members, including chartered accountant Brian Radburn, Irene Martin from Retire-at-Home Services and academic Penny Collenette, who brought fashion designer Richard Robinson and his wife, Louise, as her guests.

Also seen were Mayor Jim Watson, Dr. Rudy and Betty Gittens, Kay Stanley of The Ottawa Hospital board of governors, Citizen Advocacy’s Brian Tardif, the cancer foundation’s Linda Eagen and Patricia Shapiro from The OCTC Foundation.

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