News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Long-time United Way KFL&A staff members honoured with King Charles III Coronation Medal

Kim Hockey and John DiPaolo honoured for their commitment to community and passion for helping others  

Kingston, ON (March 13, 2025) – The United Way Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington is pleased to celebrate Vice President, Community Impact, Kim Hockey, and President and CEO, John DiPaolo as a recipients of the King Charles III Coronation Medal. The medals were presented at the most recent United Way KFL&A Board Meeting on Tuesday March 11, 2025, with members of the board and staff congratulating both on this honour.  

The Coronation Medal was created to mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, which took place on May 6, 2023. It is the first Canadian commemorative medal to mark a coronation. To be eligible for this honour, recipients must have made a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region of, or community in, Canada, or attained an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada. The Medal is a visible and tangible way to recognize 30,000 outstanding individuals of all ages and from all walks of life who have made a difference in their communities.

A list of nominating partner organizations, representing a broad cross section of fields of endeavour, was approved by the Prime Minister. The partners, including United Ways across Canada, then nominated recipients who met the criteria. Kim was nominated for the award by the United Way KFL&A and John was nominated by United Way Centraide Canada.

“We are delighted that both Kim and John are receiving this well-deserved recognition for their contributions and commitment to our community,” said United Way KFL&A Board Chair, Peter Clarke. “It is an honour to work alongside both of them and their passion and commitment to their community shines through each day.”

For the past 30 years, Kim Hockey has worked tirelessly for the United Way and her community, running key initiatives like Success by 6, steering the United Way’s work on Youth Homelessness, organizing and running Point in Time counts, stewarding federal dollars, working with agencies and volunteers each year on the funding allocations process and so much more Kim is a committed and passionate leader in our community, working every single day so that people can live with hope, dignity and a sense of belonging. This recognition and award was a surprise for Kim who prefers to work in the background and let others take on the spotlight role.

“Being recognized by my fellow colleagues and receiving this medal along side John and all those across the country who are recipients, is deeply humbling, “ said Hockey. “It’s a privilege to serve my community through the work of United Way and I feel very fortunate and blessed to have this opportunity.” 

John has worked for United Way KFL&A for 15 years and was Vice President of Corporate Services for 11 years before taking on the role of President and CEO in 2023. John has been involved in several local and national committees, including the Transparency, Accountability, and Financial Reporting committee, which he co-chaired, and has also served as a member of the United Way Centraide Canada’s Membership Accountability and Performance Committee. As President and CEO, he has stepped into the role of leading United Way KFL&A and achieving a historic campaign achievement in 2024, helping the organization and community raise over $4 million. This recognition was also a surprise for John and he had expected to only be recognizing Kim for her hard work.

“This is an incredibly humbling experience to be mentioned in the same category as my colleague and great friend Kim and all of the other deserving recipients of this medal,” said DiPaolo. “What makes this all the more special for both Kim and I is that this nomination was put forward by our teammates here at the United Way.” 

 About the Medal

The Medal was designed by the Canadian Heraldic Authority, approved by His Majesty The King and manufactured by the Royal Canadian Mint.

On the obverse is a contemporary crowned effigy of His Majesty King Charles III in coronation robes, circumscribed with the inscriptions “CHARLES III DEI GRATIA REX” and the word “CANADA”. The reverse bears a depiction of the Royal Cypher (the King’s monogram surmounted by the Canadian Royal Crown) with the inscriptions “6-V-2023” and “VIVAT REX” to the left and right of the Royal Cypher, respectively, all placed over the 13-point sunburst design of the Canadian Coronation emblem. The Medal is worn suspended from a ribbon of dark blue, bright red and white colours evocative of the 1902 Edward VII Coronation Medal, one of the earliest coronation medals awarded to Canadians.

To be eligible for this honour, a person must have:
Made a significant contribution to the country, a province, territory, region or community, or made an outstanding achievement abroad, or has made an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada; and been alive on May 6, 2023, the date of His Majesty’s Coronation. Nominations can be made posthumously, as long as the nominee was alive on that date. The Medal may only be awarded once.

About United Way KFL&A
United Way Kingston Frontenac Lennox & Addington works closely with community partners to ensure that people have the opportunity to reach their full potential and live with hope, dignity, and a sense of belonging. This vision is realized by building on deep-rooted local community knowledge and relationships to empower people to make an impact. 

The United Way raises funds for programs that support immediate needs while also tackling complex social issues collaboratively. Led by volunteers, driven by a small professional staff team, the United Way KFL&A is a unifying force, encouraging people to get involved to support our most vulnerable.

Thanks to the continued generous support of the community, United Way KFL&A is proud to rank fourth among United Ways across Canada in dollars raised related to the size of our market.

Stay up to date by following their social media channels – Facebook, X, and LinkedIn or visit www.unitedwaykfla.ca

Media Contact:

Mandy Pasch, Director, Marketing and Communications
United Way KFL&A
613-876-3088, marketing@unitedwaykfla.ca