The Town of Richmond Hill’s annual staff United Way Fundraising Campaign was recognized by the United Way of York Region (UWYR) for the second consecutive year, with the 2008 Municipal Challenge Award in the large municipality category. On behalf of the UWYR, Commissioner of Engineering and Public Works and Richmond Hill United Way Committee Chair, Italo Brutto presented the award to Council and acknowledged staff’s ongoing commitment to the community. This award is presented to the municipality that accomplishes the highest percentage of participation in the category. In 2008, participation increased by 5.6 per cent over the previous campaign resulting in a total of $56,036 being raised for the UWYR. The United Way of York Region supports a network of 40 agencies, funding 100 vital social service programs. Due to the generousity and support of Town staff, as well as many other organizations, the UWYR's 2008 Fundraising Campaign raised a record-breaking total of $9,537,000.

The success of the Town of Richmond Hill's 2008 National Public Works Week program was recognized by the Ontario Public Works Association (OPWA) with the Roger Brown Award for Public Works Week programs for municipalities with populations of 250,000 or less. On behalf of the OPWA, Commissioner of Engineering and Public Works, Italo Brutto presented the award to Council and acknowledged the work of the staff team responsible for organizing the activities for the week (May 17-23, 2008). National Public Works Week is an annual event celebrated throughout North America in support of Public Works professionals aimed at raising awareness and recognizing the impact that Public Works staff have on improving the quality of life in their community. The 2008 theme, The Future is NOW, recognized the work performed by public works staff through innovation, invention, and maintenance, helping to ensure a safe future for the community. Activities included elementary school tours, the York Municipalities Public Works Challenge and an Open House at the Operations Centre. This award is named in honour of Roger Brown, former Commissioner of Works for the former City of Scarborough and Director of Region 5 of the American Public Works Association, one of a handful of Canadians to have held the post. The Town has been participating in National Public Works Week since 1997 and was previously awarded the Bruce Brunton Award in both 1997 & 1998 for its outstanding National Public Works Week programs.

Safety First in Richmond Hill....First Place That is!
Council and members of the Town’s Road Watch Committee were formally recognized by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) for their dedication and commitment to community safety with the 2008 Road Safety Achievement Award in the “Volunteer” category. The Road Safety Achievement Awards were established by the Ministry of Transportation to recognize the exceptional achievements and commitment to excellence of individuals, community groups and organizations in promoting road safety at the community level. The Town of Richmond Hill Road Watch Committee was recognized for their volunteer efforts in getting the message of the Road Watch Program out to the residents of Richmond Hill through their active participation at key community events in 2008. Road Watch Committee Chair, Naim Malik, first accepted the award from the Honorable Jim Bradley, Minister of Transportation, on behalf of the Committee at a ceremony on June 4 at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Downtown Toronto. Road Watch is a community-based initiative with members appointed by Council and supported by Town staff and York Regional Police. Road Watch involves awareness and education and is intended to reduce the number of fatal collisions due to dangerous or aggressive driving. The program encourages public support and participation through the use of online reporting or Citizen Report Forms, which give residents the opportunity to identify dangerous and aggressive drivers and report them to the police.