Nominations Open for Downtowner of the Year - Due May 6, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Stephanie Button,
Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership
(509) 582.7221
partnership@historickennewick.org
Nominations are open for the next Downtowner of the Year.
Deadline is May 6th.
April 23, 2020, Kennewick, WA - Had things gone to plan, today would have been a very busy, but still a very fun day for us here in downtown Kennewick.
Staff would be at Clover Island Inn setting up for our annual Downtowner Banquet. Tables would be getting decorated by table hosts, we’d be artfully arranging the silent auction items, and doing a final tech check on our presentation and our check-in procedure.
Our friends at Washington Trust Bank would be there to help process guests and donations. Everyone in attendance would be enjoying a delightful meal, a gorgeous view of the Columbia River, and eagerly anticipating the announcement of who the Volunteer, Business, and Downtowner of the Year would be!
We are a celebratory community here in Downtown Kennewick. We love to support and cheer on our friends and neighbors. The Downtowner Banquet is a beloved tradition where folks get dressed up and come together to celebrate the achievements of our community, while raising funds for the betterment of our downtown.
Unfortunately, out of an abundance of caution for the health and safety of our community in response to the public health situation that is COVID-19 and in compliance with the order to “Stay Home, Stay Healthy,” The HDKP Board of Directors had to make the heartbreaking decision to not hold the Annual Downtowner Banquet as a formal event this year.
During the earliest days of COVID-19, we thought that maybe we could just postpone the event and hold it later in the spring or summer. However, with all of the uncertainty of how large gatherings can proceed until a vaccine is produced for COVID-19, we believe it is best to error on the side of caution. There will not be a formal banquet for the foreseeable future. We will miss seeing all of our downtown community decked out in their finest for this fun tradition but we look forward to the next opportunity to hold the Downtowner Banquet.
We still want to honor the spirit of the Downtowner Banquet and honor the Volunteer, Business, and Downtowner of the Year. In lieu of a formal event we will be announcing and celebrating all of our awardees in a series of media events.
In that spirit, we have opened up nominations for Downtowner of the Year as well as nominations for Volunteer and Business of the Year.
DOWNTOWNER OF THE YEAR:
Any individual, group, organization or club may nominate a person(s) to be the recipient of the Downtowner of the Year award. This nomination must be complete and submitted on the official nomination form prepared for this purpose.
Final selection of the Kennewick Downtown of the Year will be made by all of the past recipients of this award attending a selection meeting called for this purpose soon after the nomination period is over.
No person who has received this award in the past may be nominated, whether individually or as part of a dual recipient award (as in the case of a husband and wife receiving the award in the same year). This does not apply to the husband or wife receiving the award individually in one year and the spouse receiving the award in a subsequent year.
There is no requirement that the nominee(s) be a resident of the City of Kennewick, work in the city of Kennewick, or own property in the City of Kennewick, only that the contributions the nominee(s) have made to the downtown Kennewick area over an extended period of time be of such magnitude as to be selected over all other nominations.
DOWNTOWN BUSINESS OF THE YEAR & DOWNTOWN VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR:
Completed nomination forms are to be emailed to kennewickdowntowner@gmail.com by 12pm on May 6, 2020.
The Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership is a volunteer-driven 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation aspiring to reflect our diverse community, provide an inclusive and vibrant downtown destination, encourage economic and creative opportunities, and preserve our rich history to support a dynamic future. You'll find us on the east side of the Tri-Cities area in Kennewick, WA near the beautiful Columbia River. Visit HDKP at historickennewick.org.
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If you would like more information about this topic, please call Stephanie Button at 509-582-7221 or email her at partnership@historickennewick.org.