This year, the McDowell County Chamber of Commerce dedicated its annual banquet to honor those in our community who have exhibited strength, fortitude, acuity, compassion and tenacity in the face of the upsets and disorder of 2020.
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Chamber holds McDowell Strong Awards Ceremony for annual banquet
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As a way to recognize the many acts of fortitude during the COVID pandemic, the McDowell Chamber of Commerce created four new awards along with the prestigious Duke Energy Citizenship Award for this event. At a previous ceremony at the Municipal Event Center, Robin Nicholson, Duke Energy’s district manager for McDowell County, announced the 2021 recipient for the Duke Energy Citizenship Award. This year’s recipients are Emergency Services Director William Kehler and his staff with McDowell Emergency Services for how they have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the presentation were, from left, County Manager Ashley Wooten, 911 Manager Amberlie Buff, EMS Deputy Director/Fire Marshal Craig Walker, EMS Deputy Director Adrienne Rivera Jones, Kehler and Nicholson.
April Westmoreland presented the Phoenix Award. It recognizes those businesses that not only survived the struggles and hardships of 2020, but were positioned in such a way that they were able to thrive and grow. Two of the recipients, Debbie and Doug Watson with Flavors on Main General Store, are in the background.
The Phoenix Award recognizes those businesses that not only survived the struggles and hardships of 2020, but were positioned in such a way that they were able to thrive and grow. The recipients were: Flavors on Main General Store, J. Hartman’s Restaurant, Ingenious Coffee Roasters, Open Door to Health, McDowell Local, Marion Hot Wheelz, Hillman Beer – Old Fort, Old Fort Outdoors. In this photo, Doug and Debbie Watson of Flavors on Main accept their award.
The Frontline Award recognizes the selflessness of those in the community who continued to serve and work during the pandemic. The recipients were: McDowell County Schools Nutrition Department (750,000 meals), McDowell County teachers, William Kehler and the entire Emergency Management team, Karen Powell and the entire Foothills Health District team, Cross Memorial Baptist Church and Dove’s Grocery Store. In this photo, the McDowell County Schools Nutrition Department accepts its award.
The Good Samaritan Award was created to honor those in the community that even when they were dealing with the fallout of COVID-19, they helped others in the community through donations, advice, and mentorship. In this photo, Emily Causey of Mica Town Brewing presents the award to the recipients: Bruce’s Fabulous Foods, Foothills Food Hub, Heather Edwards, Tegan Sacco, Caleb Parker, McDowell Local, Rodney Jackson, Landdis Hollifield, Freedom Life Ministries, Nikki Palmer, Jason Seidel, West Marion Community Forum and Rotary Club of Marion.
The Trailblazer/Innovator Award is for businesses that when most were struggling to stay open, they were identifying needs and creating solutions during the pandemic. They exemplify leadership in crisis and focused on solutions to benefit the community. The recipients were: Foothills Industries, Kitsbow, Corpening Memorial YMCA and Robertson Packaging Supply Inc. In this photo, David Billstrom accepts the award for Kitsbow.
The Good Samaritan Award was created to honor those in the community that even when they were dealing with the fallout of COVID-19, they helped others in the community through donations, advice, and mentorship. The recipients were Bruce’s Fabulous Foods, Foothills Food Hub, Heather Edwards, Tegan Sacco, Caleb Parker, McDowell Local, Rodney Jackson, Landdis Hollifield, Freedom Life Ministries, Nikki Palmer, Jason Seidel, West Marion Community Forum and Rotary Club of Marion. In this photo, Heather Edwards with the Foothills Food Hub accepts the Good Samaritan Award.
