The city of Kalona has announced this year’s Kalona Community Award winners.

This year’s winners are Ken and Brenda Herington, Larry Christiansen, Margaret Miller, Anne Skaden, Jeremy and Lisa Gugel, and JW’s Foods/Curt and Dawn Wyse.

The awards are traditionally announced and presented at Kalona Days in June.

These awards are given to individuals and businesses who have had a major impact on the Kalona community in one way or another.

The Community Awards are traditionally a highlight of the annual Kalona Days celebration in June, but COVID-19 has changed that this year.

“There are no Kalona Days this year, and our backup plan was the Kalona Fall Festival, but that’s been canceled,” City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh said. “This is not the appropriate year to schedule an in-person event.”

Community members nominate people for the awards.

The Community Awards began in 2012.

“It started as a one-time event,” Schlabaugh said. “It was so popular, we decided to continue it each year.”

Past winners were:

• 2012: John Kern, Jan Peterseim, Derald and Marilyn Bender, and Marlin Miller.

• 2013: Norma Wright, Velma Skola, Dorothy Yotty, Kathy Spenner, Herman Slabach and The Iowa Flood Center.

• 2014: Ray Marner, Kalona Volunteer First Responders, Jerry and Mary Kauffman, and Douglas Morgan.

• 2015: Carol and J.D. Boyd, Doug Yotty, Kalona Optimist, Vernon Ropp, and Larry and Sally Kern.

• 2016: Mary Yoder, Warren and Paula Miller, Casey Peck, Mark Schneider and Joyce Mattes.

• 2017: Kalona Volunteer Fire Department – 100 Year Anniversary.

• 2018: Community Center Grand Opening.

• 2019: Eileen Yotty, Pat Anderson, Farmers Supply Sales Incorporated – Phil Ropp, Myron Ropp and Warren Ropp, Feed the Kids Mid-Prairie – Julie Gordinier, Leanne Bender and Matt Freel, and Food For All – Amy Spencer.