When something special needs to be done in Niagara-on-the-Lake, there’s no shortage of groups and organizations ready to step up and make a difference in the community.

Well-established groups like the town’s service clubs and associations — Kinsmen, Lions, Newcomers, Rotary, Virgil Business Association and others — continue to do great things, raising astounding amounts of money thanks to the efforts of numerous volunteers.

We salute them and all their efforts.

This year, The Lake Report has chosen to single out some of the individuals who have made it their “job” to selflessly give back to the community. We’re focusing on just a few of the many deserving individuals.

Through contributions small and large, these Community Heroes are just some of the many people who make NOTL a better place. They don’t seek recognition, but we’d like to highlight and acknowledge them.

Five years ago, Dorothy Soo-Wiens and her husband Erwin brought NOTL the idea of a holding a Tractor Parade to celebrate the agricultural community.

Like several other small towns, NOTL farmers could decorate their equipment and show it off to the community a week or so before Christmas.

Well, the agricultural folks embraced the idea and five years later the Tractor Parade has grown into a must-see event as it rolls through Virgil.

It’s just one of the many community efforts that Soo-Wiens is involved in year in and year out.

We’re not sure where Cindy Grant finds the time or the energy.

Whether it’s her involvement with Newark Neighbours and the NOTL food bank, being president of the Rotary Club and the horticultural society, or advocating for seniors issues and affordable housing, Grant works tirelessly to make a difference.

Mariah Reese and her family were selected by the Town of NOTL as “standout neighbours” as part of the town’s Good Neighbour Day promotion.

Reese started a local Facebook group called Joyous NOTL, where positivity reigns and good things about NOTL are celebrated. It has since branched out to include occasional social events.

The professional arts thrive in NOTL but a decade ago Andorlie Hillstrom saw the need for a community-based arts group and with that the Yellow Door Theatre Project was born. It’s now a major force for developing young artistic talents at home in NOTL.

George Webber started Friends of the Forgotten, an organization that deserves to grow and ensure that the past is never forgotten.

His hard work and energy were the driving force behind attempts to restore the historic Niagara Baptist Church Burial Ground, once known as the Negro Burial Ground.

While the group fell short of its fundraising goals, we hope Webber, the town and others will continue to make sure we honour this important link to our past.

Vaughn and Lauren Goettler, through their family’s Goettler Foundation, have donated millions to community projects large and small.

From helping preserve the Wilderness property on King Street to supporting the Yellow Door Theatre Project, NOTL Museum, Red Roof Retreat and the heritage trail, the Goettlers are committed to sharing their wealth to make our community a better place.

Steffanie Bjorgan is another tireless worker, who has helped lead Red Roof Retreat as it has grown and prospered over the past 25 years. And now the respite care and support organization for children with special needs is in the midst of a major expansion.

Barbara Ahluwalia is an ageless wonder. Now in her 90s, for decades she was involved in numerous community ventures, but in recent years was a key figure in bringing the Voices of Freedom Park to life.

And when it was clear that development of the Parliament Oak school was inevitable, she lobbied to preserve a monument on the site that commemorated families who helped slaves escaping the Deep South via the Underground Railroad.

The Chautauqua Residents Association is small, but mighty, punching well above its weight class.

Under its current president, Weston Miller, as well as previous leaders, this group works to ensure the unique enclave that comprises the Chautauqua neighbourhood is preserved and respected.

The association also tries to foster community spirit by hosting events and gatherings throughout the year.

Summertime visitors to NOTL often rave about the floral beauty they encounter in Old Town. Much of that is a credit to town workers and the likes of Chris Allen, who lovingly tend to the gardens and hanging baskets that add so much to the town’s ambiance.

Brittney Kranz, lead co-ordinator of the Farmworker Hub in Virgil, helped rally NOTLers to support  workers after Hurricane Melissa slammed into Jamaica in October.

Migrant workers are essential in NOTL’s agricultural industry and when they are living here for up to 10 months of the year, the Farmworker Hub is an essential connection to the products and services they need.

Last, but far from least, we want to salute Julia Buxton-Cox, Penny Milligan and Audrey Pellett, the trio behind the launch this past year of NOTL’s chapter of 100 Women Who Care.

They brought this amazingly simple charitable organization to town and it quickly took off, attracting way more than the requisite 100 women members. The group meets four times a year and each time, each member contributes $100.

That creates a pool of more than $10,000 that is then donated to a single charity. As the organization says, it’s “simple, efficient and powerful.”

• Do you know of someone who deserves to be recognized as a Community Hero? Let us know: editor@niagaranow.com.