Clayton Swanton has been a member of the Rotary Club of Dauphin since he moved back to town following his studies.
He's a co-creator of the Manitoba Mud Run, which has morphed into Race RMNP. Those events raise money for the Rotary Club to give back to active living projects.
For Clayton, Dauphin is everything.
"It's where I grew up, and chose to settle back into, start a business, and raise my family," said Swanton. "I'm very privileged to have the life that I have here, and that's why I choose to give back when I can."
Clayton was also a co-chair for the 2024 Manitoba Summer Games, which took place in Dauphin last August. The event was an overwhelming success and was recently recognized as the Rural Event of the Year at the Tourism Awards in Winnipeg.
The event included an executive group, more than 700 volunteers, hundreds of athletes, and fans from across the province.
"That was huge for us to get because it's a reflection of all the hard work our executive and volunteers put in," continued Swanton. "It was clear that there was a ton of buy-in from the community to host the best games possible, and that's what we did."
Just hours after receiving the Event of the Year award alongside Carla Wolfenden, Clayton was under the bright lights again. He received the King Charles III Coronation Medal the following day in Winnipeg.
Clayton’s nomination by Ron Kostyshyn speaks volumes about the lasting impact he’s made and the passion he brings to the Dauphin community
"Anytime you're singled out and nominated for an award is a great feeling, it's not why I do what I do, but it's always nice to be recognized," continued Swanton. "It was an honour, it was very neat to be at that ceremony, it was a special moment."
Clayton was also thrilled that Carla received the award.
"She has been great to work with, we have been quite a duo since 2017 working hand-in-hand," continued Swanton. "We still aren't wrapped up and are working through things. She's passionate about Dauphin and a great person."
The recognition doesn’t stop there for this powerhouse pair. On Wednesday, Clayton and Carla took centre stage in Winnipeg at Sport Manitoba’s Night of Champions, where they were proudly honoured as Volunteers of the Year.
"That's another reflection of the people in Dauphin that put so many hours towards putting on an incredible event," ended Swanton. "I really hope that everyone involved sees our recognition as a reflection on the work they did. We surrounded ourselves with really good people."
