Rusty Draper is known in Orillia as a cherished public figure, sharing wisdom, kindness and humour with our community.
He was also known by many as being the morning host on the local radio station CFOR, making everyone’s morning a little bit brighter.
His down-to-earth values and genuine care for others have earned him a place as a trusted confidant and friend to many. Those who know him—or even just know of him—speak of his ability to make everyone feel equal, valued and understood.
Rusty’s journey through life hasn’t been without challenges. He faced the difficulties of dealing with dyslexia, a disability that could have held him back. Instead, he met these challenges head-on, using his unyielding determination to achieve great things like becoming a radio broadcaster, humorist, ordained minister and author.
OrilliaMatters was thrilled to surprise Rusty with a Random Act of Kindness, to acknowledge his years of generosity and spreading kindness.
“I’ve lived in Orillia for 30 years and have met very few people who don’t know Rusty or know of his wisdom and kindness. He always knows just what to say in good or difficult situations and he’s always there if you need him,” said Kathy Hulland, Rusty’s nominator and one of his good friends.
“He loves people. He loves interacting with them and hearing about their lives. He doesn’t judge anyone,” Kathy shared. “When I first met Rusty, he said that if I ever needed to talk to someone he would be available - and this proved to be true for over 32 years.”
“I’ve trusted him, laughed and cried with him and taken his advice. It’s easy to admire him because everything in this world changes, except for Rusty Draper.”
OrilliaMatters surprised Rusty while he was out for dinner with tickets to a Barra MacNeils concert and a gift certificate to his favourite restaurant.
“I was absolutely floored,” Rusty shared. “I was very humbled. This was a tremendous gesture and I’m so grateful for it. It made our meal taste that much better.”
Thank you to our generous co-sponsor, Shantero Productions, for making this Random Act of Kindness possible.
OrilliaMatters is proud to make a difference in our community by highlighting extraordinary individuals and organizations with our Random Acts of Kindness, a foundational piece of our OrilliaMatters Cares program.
The OrilliaMatters Cares team's mission is to create meaningful change in Orillia - and inspire others to do the same.
