The Soldotna Regional Sports Complex became host to the 2021 62nd annual Soldotna Chamber of Commerce Awards Celebration. The luncheon paid tribute to those who have made the community a better place to live, work and do business. Nominations are reviewed and voted upon by an Awards Committee each year, which consists of Chamber Board members.
Merrill Sikorski received the Commitment to Youth award for his many years of volunteer work and time with youth activities through the Kenai Peninsula with Caring for the Kenai.
Sikorski told KSRM:
“It definitely caught me flatfooted, but I’m receiving the award on behalf of the community because, as you know, this community can be very divided on issues, especially when it comes to politics. The two things that we are all unanimously agreement on is our young people and the Kenai River. When we melt those two things together, having our kids support the river and think about what they can do in the future, I have been totally blessed with an honor of being able to work that program.”
Justin Ruffridge, owner of Soldotna Professional Pharmacy was awarded the Person of the Year award for helping the community through the COVID-19 pandemic with its vaccination program.
Ruffridge told KSRM:
“Well, it was certainly not just me. There’s a lot of people involved. Folks at the borough, folks at the city. Lots of people that work really hard at making this happen. What I’ve said a number of times is this last couple of years has been similar to warfare. I’ve been lucky enough in my life to not have to serve in a war, but this was an opportunity to be on the front lines and to show courage and I felt like a lot of people in our community did that to step forward and say I’m willing to look at something scary in the face and do the things that are necessary to help people survive and stay strong.”
The Government and Civic Affairs award went to John Czarnezki, Jennifer Hester, & Ken Butler who were recognized as having a record of service through appointments or involvement at the city, borough, or state level. Outstanding in duties, commitment, and goals. They were recognized for their beautification efforts with flowers and newly planted trees throughout town, including Soldotna Creek Park, the Police Station and City Hall.
The Excellence in Profession award was given to Joe Moore of Altman, Rogers & Co. The award recognizes an individual who attained and personified the highest level of professional excellence in business and/or their profession.
Josiah Martin of Martin Media was awarded the Commitment to Customer Service Award for exemplifying and promoting quality customer service. His company has been used for online commercial video shoots for businesses recently.
Kimberly Hanson of Northcountry Fair received the Small Business of the Year award. She participated in the November 2020 shop local program becoming a major promoter and participant of the program, in addition to doing live online sales which brought her through the worst of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Chamber Business of the Year went to Mary Krull owner of Whistle Hill, which includes Addie Camp, brew@602, and fresh365 for stimulating economic development while being supportive to other local businesses and involvement that enhances business in the community.