An Abbotsford man has received a national award for the work that he does promoting kindness and anti-bullying.
Mike Bismeyer is one of two people to receive the Savita Shah Award from the Edmonton-based Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace.
Bismeyer is the regional sales director for Canada with Proterra, which manufactures and sells 100 per cent battery-electric transit buses. He was nominated for the award by a transit industry peer who was aware of his charitable endeavours.
Bismeyer said he was bullied as a child for a full year while attending junior high in Mission, and this pushed him to be passionate about kindness issues as an adult.
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He sits on a national diversity equity and inclusion committee through the American Public Transportation Association and is part of the local Cycling 4 Diversity group founded by longtime friend Ken Herar.
With the latter, Bismeyer has sat on a panel that promotes kindness, compassion and inclusion.
In the past, he has also worked with another employer, where he was a founding member of United to End Bullying, through which he spoke nationally about anti-bullying and kindness.
Bismeyer continues to speak publicly about the issues whenever he can, and he has also sold Pink Shirt Day T-shirts to raise money for anti-bullying causes.
The Savita Shah Award comes with a monetary donation to be made in his honour. Bismeyer has chosen the Archway Food Bank of Abbotsford to be the recipient.
RELATED: Fraser Valley librarians share storytime video about kindness for Anti-Bullying Day
vhopes@abbynews.com
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