A Richmond Hill man has been awarded the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Newcomer Champion Award on top of two other awards he received earlier last year, all for his tireless work to better the lives of seniors.

Mul Raj Sethi received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, which honours significant contributions to Canada as well as the York Region Citizen of Character Award, for making York a desirable place to live, work, play and learn. Having turned 80 years old recently hasn’t slowed down Sethi, who founded York Region Indian Seniors Club in 2006 to help immigrant seniors maintain their social, physical, mental and spiritual health.

Today, Sethi’s club boasts more than 150 members from around Richmond Hill, Markham and Vaughan. Though the club hosts social activities, such as fun casino outings, it also provides important services such as bereavement counselling, financing information seminars and end-of-life planning. Sethi hopes to continue raising the profile of his non-profit organization in the new year: “As long as my health allows me to carry on, I will continue serving the seniors,” said Sethi. “That’s my passion.”