John Marquardt is the deserving recipient of this year's Dean Crain Award. Congratulations, John! 
Every year since 2011, the Rotary Club of Richmond Sunrise has announced the winner of the Dean Crain Humanitarian Award. It is awarded to a Richmond Sunrise Rotarian only once in their life and is based on the characteristics of Dean Crain – honesty, courage, determination, and integrity.
Dean Crain was a Rotarian and a true hero. He was born to a family stricken by Huntington’s disease, a horrible disease that resembles the challenges of both Parkinson’s and ALS. Muscle coordination deterioration. cognitive decline and dementia are all symptomatic of the painful life of a Huntington’s victim. Despite recognizing that he showed symptoms of the disease early in life, he still became the manager of a very large investment firm in Kerrisdale and had a successful business with RBC DS. He married and had two wonderful children.
As the disease worsened, Dean’s body was slowly changing, and he decided to start running again. He decided that he was going to run and raise money for Huntington’s research. In 2002, 2003 and 2004, he ran a marathon and half-marathons for the cause – accompanied at times by fellow Rotarians, Bill Jaffe and Chris Pughe. This team devised a plan to raise money and the HHH2004 Tour was on (Hundred thousand for Huntington’s).
Ten Rotary groups and some businesses supported the goal. On May 2nd, 2004, along with 10 other runners, they started the race and a few hours later crossed the finish line led by Dean. Over $100,000 was raised for the cause. Dean had been running, but also hopping, dragging and clumping – whatever he was capable of doing - with a smile.
Dean died in an accident at age 51, after having spent the last 10 years of his life raising money for research to cure a disease that haunted his family – past and future.
The Dean Crain Humanitarian Award is offered annually in his honour and we remember him through other Rotarians who exhibit honesty, courage, determination, and integrity.
Previous Dean Crain Award winners are:
David Richardson
Debbie Murphy
Bill Denham
Marg Dixon
Dalbir Rai
Chris Pughe
Judy May
Larry Thompson
Kal Mahal
Dick Wagner
Garth Edwards
Gordon Dalglish
Mary Lou Miles