Finalists in 13 categories for the 50th Civic and Community Awards were unveiled Monday

All 39 finalists in 13 categories were unveiled Monday afternoon for the 50th edition of Kelowna’s Civic and Community Awards.

The finalists highlighting outstanding achievements made by Kelowna’s volunteers, artists, coaches, athletes, businesses, and non-profit organizations in 2024 were announced at the start of Monday’s city council meeting.

Winners in each of the categories will be announced at a gala awards banquet to be held Thursday, May 8 at the Delta Grand Hotel.

“For 50 years, these awards have helped us celebrate the residents, organizations and businesses who’ve helped make Kelowna the great place it is to live,” says event development manager Chris Babcock.

“We congratulate this year’s finalists, and we invite our community to celebrate these incredible citizens and milestone year of the Civic & Community Awards at our upcoming anniversary gala.”

The 2024 award finalists include:

Honour in the Arts - supported by artsco

• Erikka Moojelsky
• Bonnie Gratz
• Tyson Cook/Freida Whales

Teen Honour in the Arts - sponsored by UBC Okanagan

• Freeze The Fall
• Almendra Osorio
• Nicholas Covaser

Bob Giordano Memorial Award – Coach/Sport Administrator of the Year

• Bill Franzman
• Kristin Smart
• Travis Miller

Bryan Couling Memorial Award – Athletic Team of the Year - sponsored by Coast Capital

• UBCO Men’s Golf Team
• Okanagan FC U15 Boys Team
• OKM Sr. Girls Volleyball Team

Female Athlete of the Year - sponsored by the Payton and Dillon Budd Memorial Fund

• Kylie Olivia Taylor
• Elizabeth Henne
• Mackenzie Adams

Male Athlete of the Year - sponsored by the Payton and Dillon Budd Memorial Fund

• Brent Fikowski
• Jerome Blake
• Elelyon Noa

Augie Ciancone Memorial Award – Young Female Athlete of the Year - presented by the Okanagan Central Schools Athletic Association

• Maya Andruchow
• Rhiannon Spinks
• Ashlyn Swan

Augie Ciancone Memorial Award – Young Male Athlete of the Year - presented by the Okanagan Central Schools Athletic Association

• Davin Hamm
• Dominic Sodaro
• Eliott Vander Horst

Champion for the Environment - sponsored by Peter’s Your Independent Grocer

• Beverly Kalmakoff
• EcoCooks
• Kane Blake

Corporate Community of the Year Award - sponsored by KCR

• RBC Wealth Management, Dominion Securities
• Doane Grant Thornton
• Valley First, a Division of First West Credit Union

Central Okanagan Foundation – Volunteer Organization of the Year - sponsored by Central Okanagan Foundation

• Inspired Word Café
• Special Olympics Kelowna
• Cool Arts Society

Young Citizen of the Year - sponsored by Crowe Mackay

• Delaney Neukomm
• Kevin Kim
• Ainsley Wood

Fred Macklin & Sarah Donalda-Treadgold Memorial Award - Citizen of the Year - sponsored by Fortis BC

• Clayton Gall
• Rhonda Hymers
• Jamie Carpenter

All Young Citizen of the Year finalists will receive funding towards their post-secondary education through the Payton and Dillon Budd Memorial Fund Youth Scholarship.

The award winner will receive $2,000; while each of the two remaining finalists will receive $1,000.

The recipient of the Teen Honour in the Arts award will receive a $500 entrance scholarship to UBC Okanagan, sponsored by the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies.

In addition, the recipient for the Central Okanagan Foundation’s Volunteer Organization of the Year will receive a $3,000 donation from the Central Okanagan Foundation.

Tickets for the gala event are $28.75 including taxes and fees and are available at the Kelowna Community Theatre box office of on the KCT box office website.