For Emporia Main Street, 2022 was a year of fulfillment according to Director Casey Woods.
During the organization’s annual meeting Thursday, Woods told KVOE News that heading into the year, Main Street made a number of large promises to the local community. He was very proud to say the organization was able to fulfill each one of those promises over the last 12 months.
With 2022 in the rearview, Woods says the main goal for the next 12 months will be to continue making good on promises. He says one of the major focuses for Main Street will be increased regional collaboration.
As part of Thursday’s activities, Main Street also handed out its annual list of awards including Advocate of the Year. The 2022 recipient was former Lyon County Commissioner Scott Briggs who worked closely with the organization to help bring various initiatives and projects to fruition during his time on the commission.
Briggs says his desire to support the agency was born out of curiosity.
This year’s Volunteer of the Year award was presented to the Emporia State University Softball team which has volunteered to assist Main Street on a number of occasions whether it be hanging up Christmas decorations, cleaning up streets after major events or helping maintain plants and gardens in the downtown corridor.
Head Coach April Rosales accepted the award and tells KVOE News the recognition says a lot about the quality of her team both as athletes and as people.
The full list of award winners is as follows:
*Advocate of the Year: Scott Briggs
*Volunteer of the Year: Emporia State Softball – accepted by Head Coach April Rosales.
*Business of the Year: Next Level Health
*Steve Hanschu Award: Town Company Two
*J Warren Brinkman Award: Ben Moore Studio
A new series of awards, the Rising Stars Awards, were also presented to the following individuals:
*Gloria Jurado – Emporia Public Library
*Caleb Shred – Main Street Axe Company
*Yahaira Ibara – Emporia State Federal Credit Union
Photos by Tagan Trahoon/KVOE NewsÂ
