Fred Dixon Receives Standing Ovation: Rob More Good Life Award at LiveWorkPlay Make A Buzz Ottawa on May 10, 2024

On the occasion of the LiveWorkPlay 29th Anniversary and the annual Make A Buzz Ottawa Celebration of Community, Fred Dixon receives the Rob More Good Life Award on May 10, 2024 at the Preston Event Centre. Below is the live captioned video from the event (with 30 second standing ovation), a selection of photos, and a full unofficial transcript. Congratulations Fred!

Finally tonight, the Rob More Good Life Award. Please welcome to the stage a very special guest representing the More family, big round of applause for Mike More!

Thank you Keenan.

The Rob More Good Life Award was established to celebrate the life of our son LiveWorkPlay member Rob More, who died tragically, along with five others in the September 18th 2013 bus/train crash.

We continue to celebrate Rob’s life, and we also hope to inspire mothers to pursue a good life of their own.

Rob loved his home, his neighborhood, his dogs, volunteering at the Experimental Farm and his work at IBM. He enjoyed the LiveWorkPlay events, as long as they were not on the same night as a playoff hockey game. He’s busy tonight, sorry. But we know he’s looking down at us because he’s got a rink side seat at and he’s got a big smile on his face seeing the Rob More Good Life Award ceremonial cup being presented here at the Preston Event Centre.

The Rob More Good Life Award is given every year to an individual who has experienced significant life transitions in pursuit of their own goals and dreams. We could not be more pleased with how well this year’s recipient represents the spirit of this great tradition in honour of Rob. When this year’s honoree was first connected to LiveWorkPlay more than seven years ago, they took their time getting to know the staff team. But it soon became evident that this individual had a lot of ambitions and many goals in life. Some of the first steps were related to everyday life, mastering elaborate cooking skills, a talent for tracking down the best deals at the local shopping scene, and even being interviewed about some interesting hobbies being pursued in the community. It was not long before some trust was earned, and that led to the opportunity to provide support for employment.

Prior to the pandemic, this included working in the sports and entertainment sector as well as community health care. When the pandemic shut down these opportunities, his year’s honoree signed up for some online college courses and earned a diploma vital to their career. These efforts paid off quickly and dramatically, starting with a casual contract in the federal public service, which was increased to full time hours. And then ultimately to a permanent position with some folks you met earlier, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

So you’ve probably already guessed who it is. So please join me in welcoming Fred Dixon to the stage. Sometimes we forget to explain that the cup stays here. But he has a beautiful plaque.

Mike thanks again for a beautiful speech, thank you and Julie More and friends for being here. And we just love keeping Rob’s memory alive and that you are willing to share it with us every year, and this amazing award, and congratulations, Fred, well deserved.