Centre County organizations, volunteers awarded for efforts to promote, preserve community
Despite challenges posed by the pandemic, local businesses and volunteers have continued to promote and preserve the community, and two Centre County organizations are rewarding their efforts.
Downtown Bellefonte Inc. held its second annual ceremony Monday to virtually recognize and award five honors to community leaders and organizations that “make Bellefonte a great place to live, visit and do business.” DBI is a volunteer organization dedicated to helping local businesses while preserving the borough’s historic architecture and heritage.
“The annual Downtown Bellefonte Inc. Awards are all about celebrating our community: its entrepreneurial spirit, its commitment to history, its dedication to service,” Robbin Degeratu, 2021 DBI Awards Committee facilitator, said in a statement. “The awards highlight the best of the best, and this year, there were many outstanding nominees.”
Community nominations were accepted in the fall and reviewed by the awards committee, which is comprised of stakeholders within and outside of DBI. Degeratu said 50 nominations made by the public qualified for awards.
“We really enjoyed making this a collaborative, public process, and we learned a lot,” Degeratu said during Monday’s ceremony.
Recipients include:
- Award for Resilience: Kevin Lloyd, Big Spring Spirits
- Business of the Year: Bonfatto’s Italian Market and Corner Cafe
- #LoveBFT Award: Lori Fisher, Bellefonte Art Museum
- Renaissance Award: Belle Mercantile
- Volunteer of the Year: Kathy and Phil Breidenbaugh
Gina Thompson, a Bellefonte councilwoman and DBI main street manager, congratulated volunteers, awardees and nominees during the livestream.
“You are all amazing. It’s been such a crazy year, but our community has really persevered and thrived despite it all,” she wrote. “I’m so proud of all the businesses and organizations that have committed to making Bellefonte such a great place.”
Belle Mercantile — located at 135 S. Spring St. — has been open for about four months; owners Brian Bonner and Andrea Skirpan said they were thrilled to be honored by DBI.
“What most people don’t know and what this award recognizes is the time and hard work that went into transforming a neglected and unutilized building in the heart of downtown Bellefonte into what it is today,” Skirpan said.
The couple saw the space, the former Mattress World building, as an opportunity to establish a collective marketplace and “bring life back to downtown Bellefonte,” Skirpan said.
“Every day we grow, and we are excited to see what the future holds for us and all of Bellefonte,” she said. “Even during COVID, Bellefonte is having an exciting time of growth and revitalization.”
Centre County Historical Society to hold virtual ceremony
The Centre County Historical Society will celebrate the 32nd annual John H. Ziegler Historic Preservation Awards virtually on Sunday. Since 1988, the historical society has recognized individuals and organizations for their work in preserving and interpreting Centre County history.
“Even though we cannot be together in-person this year, we hope you will enjoy and be inspired by the good work that is being done in Centre County to preserve its heritage,” the CCHS wrote in a statement.
Recipients include:
- Education and Advocacy: Matt Maris, Local Historia Historical Walking Tours
- Preservation and Restoration: Centre County Soldiers and Sailors Memorial and Curtin Monument Restoration, Centre County Commissioners Michael Pipe, Mark Higgins and Steve Dershem, Alan Popovich, AIA-APArchitects, LLC, Sue Hannegan, Alberto Romero M.A. and Alec Romero
- History and Heritage: Ken Hickman, Penn State All-Sports Museum
- Support and Volunteerism: Rebecca Inlow, Rowland Theatre
- President’s Award: CCHS Stocking Stuffer Committee
- Jacqueline J. Melander Award: Alan Popovich, AIA
The ceremony is free and open to the public, but donations are appreciated. Though registration is limited to 100, the event will be livestreamed on the historical society’s Youtube channel and recorded by C-Net. For more information, visit CentreHistory.org/preservationawards.
