Taylor Sandell reflects on giving back to Revelstoke

left to right Meghan Porath, a white woman with long brown hair wearing a black cocktail dress, Ken Talbot, an older white man wearing a black suit and purple under shirt and Taylor Sandell, a white woman with curly hai and wearing and dark blue gown dress stand in front of a Revelstoke Business Excellence Awards backdrop as they smile at a camera to the left of the picture. — (L-R) Meghan Porath, Ken Talbot and Taylor Sandell at the 2024 Revelstoke Business Excellence Awards. Sandell was awarded Citizen of the Year. **Photo provided by Taylor Sandell**

Taylor Sandell, Citizen of the Year for the 2024 Revelstoke Business Excellence Awards, is quick to point out the achievements of organizations they work with, highlighting the efforts of colleagues at Revelstoke Roller Derby and Revelstoke Visual Arts Society.

“It felt kind of nice to be singled out, but also I definitely felt like a bit of a fraud because there were so many other deserving humans in my team as well,” Sandell said, naming fellow nominee and roller derby member Whitney Kendrick as someone who could have easily won the Citizen of the Year award.

Moving to Revelstoke nearly six years ago, Sandell made a point to connect with as much of the community as possible, something that’s made the city feel like home. Upon moving to Revelstoke, Sandell struggled with calling themself a local. How long does someone need to be here to don that honour?

Then, a friend said, “you’re a part of this town and you’re part of this community when you start giving back,” Sandell said, explaining the goal to help grow and shape Revelstoke is what made Sandell feel most at home.

Sandell’s work over the years to pour that passion back into community hasn’t just been through Revelstoke Roller Derby and Revelstoke Visual Arts Society. They have also worked as a bowling coach for Revelstoke’s Special Olympics team during Sandell’s second year in town, helped organize old growth forest protection fundraisers and created art for Revelstoke Humane Society’s art bank fundraiser. Still, Sandell admits their current love for Revy shows up the most through the art scene and the roller derby scene.

“I love that no matter who you are, roller derby will hold a space for you. Which I think is incredibly important and sometimes really hard to find.”

The Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce’s annual business awards ceremony has two categories that don’t fall into the typical business awards; Citizen of the Year and Non-profit of the Year. That doesn’t make them the odd ones out for the evening though, Sandell said.

“Everyone who was there that night was there because they’re passionate about this community and the work they’re doing in the community.”