Betty Urquhart Community Service Award winner Pavi Toor supports a strong community  

A good volunteer strengthens his or her community, and Pavi Toor is no exception. His dedication to youth mentorship through the Young Guns Weightlifting Club has earned him the Betty Urquhart Community Service Award, which recognizes the outstanding contributions of an individual, group, or organization.

Pavi’s Mission-based fitness group provides free athletic training with certified instructors for youth in the area, while raising and donating thousands of dollars to local causes. The UFV alum founded the organization in 2019 when looking for support for his two sons, Jaiden and Pravin. With no youth weightlifting programs in the area, his solution was to hire a trainer at a nearby leisure centre to teach them proper technique along with a few friends from their basketball team — and the Young Guns Weightlifting Club was born. They raised funds by selling merchandise and protein donuts, and the group outgrew and outlasted Pavi’s original expectations, making a far greater impact than he predicted. He saw that regular physical activity with a community of their peers helped teenagers develop discipline and take care of their mental health, giving them essential skills for future success. Former club members have even gone on to win provincial and national powerlifting championships.

“Obviously they get physically stronger and they get better at their sport, but also what I started to see was their own confidence and mental toughness started to go higher,” says Pavi. “I think that overall, it’s positively impacted nearly every kid who’s been in the program and their parents. We’ve gotten great feedback.”

Together, Pavi and his sons have published an educational resource for young investors, thrown a fundraising gala that raised $40 000, started a free youth basketball club, sponsored the Vancouver Police Department’s Iron Bulldogs Powerlifting Competition for youth, funded a girls- only weightlifting program, and upgraded fitness equipment at Hatzic Middle School and Abbotsford Traditional School. He’s now passed the leadership of Young Guns Weightlifting Club down to Jaiden and Pravin.

“Working with youth, partnering with local gyms and certified trainers, I learned deeply about several Fraser Valley communities, about myself, and I built lasting connections. Volunteering helps keep our society strong. It keeps us strong. We regularly tell the youth in our program: it never gets easier, you just get stronger,” he says.

“Thank you again for this award. Let’s all keep showing up — for our communities and for ourselves. ”