2019 J. D. Simons Community Volunteer Award goes to Claudia and Kyle Kressin
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Kyle and Claudia Kressin, pictured with Mark Johnson, are the J.D. Simons Community Volunteer Award winners for 2019.
—photo submitted
COLFAX — Claudia and Kyle Kressin, owners of Kyle’s Market in Colfax, are the recipients of the 2019 J.D. Simons Community Volunteer Award.
Mark Johnson, president of the Colfax Commercial Club, presented the award during intermission at the performance of the Looney Lutherans at the Cozy Theater in the Colfax Municipal Building on Sunday, November 17.
Unfortunately, the Kressins were unable to attend the performance, but family friend Gust Fehr accepted the award for them and took it out to the grocery store Monday morning.
Johnson noted that the Colfax Commercial Club had originally planned to present the J.D. Simons Award for 2019 at the 100th Anniversary of the Colfax Free Fair in June.
At the time of the Colfax fair, however, Johnson had been called upon to take care of a friend out of state who’d had surgery, and LeAnn Ralph, secretary of the Colfax Commercial Club, was certain that she could not be in two places at one time on Sunday — taking pictures at the Colfax FFA Alumni Auction for the Colfax Messenger and presenting the J.D. Simons Award.
Presenting the award at the fair on Sunday — with the church service, the chicken dinner, the alumni auction and other activities — was believed to be the best time during the fair because a certain number of people would be in attendance.
It should be noted that Ralph has spent years trying to figure out how to be in two or three or four places at one time for the newspaper but still has not worked out a solution to the dilemma.
According to the nominations received for the J.D. Simons Community Volunteer Award, Kyle and Claudia are “completely invested in their community and making Colfax a better place for everyone.”
The Kressins employ local students at Kyle’s Market and work diligently around their school schedules so they can be fully involved; sponsor community events like the Easter Egg drop; recognize special groups and organizations by handing out flowers and donating food and prizes; and allow bake sales, cookie sales and brat sales at the grocery store, the nominations note.
“The Kressins are exemplary examples of committed and faithful servants to the community of Colfax,” according to one of the nominations.
Another nomination stated, Kyle Kressin “is the first person to donate to all of the activities held in Colfax all year long and to help people who have had a tragedy in their family … Kyle does not get the recognition he deserves.”
When Johnson announced that Kyle and Claudia Kressin were the recipients of the J.D. Simons Community Volunteer Award, the crowd of people who had assembled to watch the Looney Lutherans murmured their approval and applauded the Kressins.
When the Colfax Messenger spoke with Kyle Kressin on Monday, Kressin said he and Claudia were a little overwhelmed by receiving the award.
“We never expected this,” he said.
According to the nomination form, “The distinction of being the founder of Colfax goes to a man named John D. Simons. As a businessman and philanthropist, he was one of the most influential characters in the early history of this locality, and many a poor man could point to him as the man who ‘helped him out’ in time of dire distress. Beginning with Mr. Simons, there have been many business owners and residents that have carried on the values of volunteering, supporting and promoting the village of Colfax. In this spirit of volunteerism, the Colfax Commercial Club is seeking to recognize an ‘unsung hero’ in our community.”
The J.D. Simons Award reads, “In honor of your dedication to ‘all things Colfax’ and your outstanding community involvement, your willingness to volunteer your time across many organizations and for many individuals, and most importantly — for making Colfax a better place to live.”
The Colfax Commercial Club will again be seeking nominations for the 2020 J.D. Simons Community Volunteer Award — so be thinking about who you might like to nominate.
By “community,” the Colfax Commercial Club intends to honor volunteers from Colfax and from the area surrounding Colfax.
The 2018 J.D. Simons Community Volunteer was Mona Thorson.
The 2017 J.D. Simons Community Volunteers were Geri and Ernie Bates.
The 2016 J.D. Simons Community Volunteer was Troy Knutson.
J.D. Simons Community Volunteer Award recipients receive a plaque, and a name plate is placed on another plaque that is on display in the Colfax Municipal Building.
