Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre (CASASC) Executive Director Patricia Arango was awarded the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal on December 16.

Arango was awarded the commemorative medal along with Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre (CACAC) CEO Mark Jones during a lunch hour ceremony held at the CACAC’s office.

Both medal recipients received the recognition from Minister of Education Adriana Lagrange. Arango was awarded the medal for her involvement with the development of the Centre of Excellence and her dedication to working towards eliminating sexual violence in the community.

Arango has been the Executive Director of CASASC since 2016.

During the ceremony, after receiving the medal, Arango told the crowd filled with CASASC staff, the medal was not hers alone. She stated “this medal is really for all of you.”

The Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee Medal will be awarded to 7,000 Albertans throughout 2022 in recognition of significant contributions to the province.

The medal was created to mark the 70^th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne as Queen of Canada. The Platinum Jubilee Medal program is continuing as planned despite the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and will conclude on February 5, 2023.