Mayor Jim Watson, left, and Orléans Ward Councillor Bob Monette (right) present the City Builder award to Madat Kara.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson recently presented the Mayor’s City Builder Award to Madat Kara of  Prudential Town Centre Realty “for his tireless volunteer work and outstanding contributions to the community as a Meals on Wheels volunteer and fundraiser,” says a City of Ottawa news release.

In January 1998, during the Eastern Ontario ice storm, when Kara heard that some elderly and convalescing people would not be receiving their daily meals due to the weather, he contacted Meals on Wheels and offered to help. He has had a regular route delivering meals ever since.

Kara soon realized that there weren’t enough government subsidies to fund Meals on Wheels so he took on a fundraising role, organizing several large-scale functions that have contributed greatly to the program, says the city. His first event was a silent auction and a dinner dance, raising $13,000.

Over the past few years, Kara and his team have hosted many events, including a golf tournament, boat cruises, hockey games, Elvis gala night dinners and dances and other fundraising activities. In 2010, the team raised $5,000 and Kara contributed more than 500 volunteer hours, completing a lifetime total of 4,000 volunteer hours. The team was recognized by Meals on Wheels for being the first to organize large-scale events contributing to the success of the program.