Do you remember the column I wrote about Chas Clayton? His son, Don, is a good friend of mine.

Chas lived at the top of a wind-swept hill in Alberta and any time his neighbours got trapped in town by a sudden snow storm, they knew that if they called, Chas would break a trail through the snowdrifts with his tractor and be waiting at the bottom to pull them up and he'd never take money for his trouble.

"If we help each other out, we'll all get even in the end," was all he'd say.

I ended that column by wondering just how many people have been helped over the years because of Chas Clayton's philosophy of life. How many of the people he helped passed on the favor, I wondered, and how many of those favors were passed on again and yet again?

Well fifty or so years later, Don Cousins, the Mayor of Markham, Ontario, near Toronto, can thank Chas Clayton for saving his life … well, indirectly saving his life.

It wasn't Chas that did the deed. He died ten years ago. It was his son, and my good friend, Don Clayton that saved Mayor Cousin's life by volunteering to donate one of his kidneys.

A few years ago Don had volunteered to donate a piece of his liver to another friend but they weren't a good match. This time they were.

"What went through your mind as you made that huge decision," I asked.

"I really didn't think about it at the time," Don replied, "I'd do the same thing for you, Bill … in a heartbeat … but I think it all goes back to my dad. That's just a fundamental part of my life. As long as it was possible to make that donation and still live, I was in."

As you know we are encouraging our readers to nominate people they know as a Neighbourhood Hero and offering people who do the chance to win a SPA WEEKEND FOR TWO at Tauca Lea By The Sea.

As you begin to flip through the memory bank to think of people you might nominate, here are a few tips. First, Don Clayton is an exception to the rule. Most Neighbourhood Heroes are ordinary people who have done simple things that anyone of us could and would do.

Neighbourhood Heroes are people who have:
• Given more than is required as a parent, a neighbour, a friend or on the job
• Gone out of their way to help someone, even a stranger
• Always been there for friends and family
• Overcome handicaps and other personal challenges
• Taken a risk and followed their passion
• Started a small business and succeeded
• Turned a negative into a positive
• Failed (perhaps more than once) but were able to get off the ground and try again
• As coaches, taught valuable life-lessons as well as athletic skills
• Faced their fear and did it anyway
• As senior citizens, found a way to live their "Golden Years" with joy and enthusiasm
• As an ordinary citizen, become a role model for others

It feels great to acknowledge someone you respect … and it would feel even better to …

WIN A SPA WEEKEND GETAWAY
At Tauca Lea By the Sea
Your weekend will include: two nights accommodation for two in a one bedroom suite with fireplace, one three course spa cuisine dinner, one advanced Facial and one Aromatherapy Massage - Some restrictions may apply.