Sharron Cooke Legacy Award

Collaboration - Communication - Trust - Friendship - Hope

The Sharron Cooke Annual Legacy Award was created to memorialize the vision and collaborative spirit of the late Sharron Cooke, former OARC President, and was conceptualized (with Sharron’s help!) as a way to honour the people who live and work in Ontario long-term care (LTC) homes. Click here to access the complete application/award.

Learn more about our previous Award Recipients: 2025 | 2024 | 2023

PURPOSE

The Sharron Cooke Annual Legacy Award (SCALA) recognizes a long‑term care home engaged in a shared home-level, grassroots project or initiative where residents and team members work collaboratively—or where residents take a leading role—to shape and enhance their home community. Rather than recognizing individual volunteer efforts, this Award celebrates homes that demonstrate a collective approach—where residents and team members come together, or residents lead with support, from vision through to execution.

This award celebrates homes that have been on their own ‘culture change’ journey.

AWARD

The LTC home team recipients will be consulted to select a prize item (valued up to $500) that helps to bring people together to build community in your home. We recognize that prizes are not ‘one size fits all’ and the intention of this Award is to afford flexibility to select a prize that best suits your home’s current needs and resident preferences.

ELIGIBILITY/CRITERIA

Application packages must include the following :

Application form jointly completed by a Team Member(s) and Resident(s) from an Ontario LTC home.
Description of how the initiative has positively influenced your home in at least one of the following areas:

Building trust and inspiring hope
Enhancing communication
Building compassion and empathy
Facilitating resident to resident peer support and friendships

Include direct feedback/quotes from residents as well as team members to illustrate the impact of your collaboration/project
Include pictures to support your application – email to jlangston@ontarc.com in a .jpeg format
Completed application should be around 750 words.
Recipients of the Sharron Cooke Legacy Award are eligible to apply for the award again 2 years after receiving it.

IMPORTANT DATES

June 8, 2026	Applications Open
August 14, 2026	Applications Close
Week of August 24 – 28, 2026	Award Selection (Internal Review)
Week of September 7, 2026	Applicants and Award Recipient Notified
Residents’ Council Week – September 14 -20, 2026	Winner announced

HOW TO APPLY

You may choose from 1 of 2 methods to apply for the award:

1. How to apply online:

Online link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SCALA2026
Photos are to be submitted via email to Jennifer Langston jlangston@ontarc.com in a .jpeg format

2. How to apply using the paper application:

CLICK HERE FOR THE MS WORD VERSION OF APPLICATION FORM

Submit your application (maximum 1100 words) and photos via mail, email or fax:

Mail: Ontario Association of Residents’ Councils
4261 Highway 7 East, Suite #A14-360, Markham, ON L3R 9W6

Email: Jennifer Langston jlangston@ontarc.com

Fax: 905-731-1755