AMHERST — Retired U.S. Congressman John Olver is among those being honored with A+ Awards from the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce at its annual dinner Thursday.
Olver is perhaps the most prominent area resident who will be feted and will receive the Lifetime Achievement award. Chamber Executive Director Claudia Pazmany said the event is about finding ways to recognize unsung heroes and those who make Amherst and surrounding towns a better place to live.
“It’s an opportunity to celebrate people who do outstanding work in the community,” Pazmany said. “We’re trying to find unsung heroes and people who work hard.”
The dinner, which begins at 5 p.m. at the Student Union Ballroom at the University of Massachusetts, is also about keeping the chamber organization vibrant and its members connected, Pazmany said.
The Chamber MVP award is going to former chamber staff member Kim Alli, who now works for Greenfield Savings Bank, with Community Service Awards going to Catalina Arrubla, founder of the Multi-Arts Camps for Children, and David C. Dann, board president of Village Neighbors, which helps senior citizens to remain in their homes in the rural communities of Shutesbury, Leverett, Wendell and New Salem.
The Young Professional Award will be presented to Jen Loebel Strong, development director of Big Brothers Big Sisters Hampshire County, a program of the Center for Human Development, while the Amherst Cinema is earning the Economic Vitality Award.
In addition, two Amherst Regional High School graduates will be formally presented $1,000 scholarships, a joint initiative of the chamber and Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Anya Benson, now at Mount Holyoke College and pursuing her interest in medicine, and Rakshya Shahi, who is at UMass-Amherst studying public health.
The A+ Awards began in 2010 under then executive director Tony Maroulis, who is now director of UMass External Affairs. Maroulis will join Pazmany as co-master of ceremonies at the dinner, which is presented by PeoplesBank.
Each honoree will have a short video tribute produced in cooperation with Amherst Media.
DJ Pat Farrow Entertainment will be on hand to provide additional entertainment and music for dancing, after the meal that is catered by UMass Dining,
“We’re looking forward to having a lot of fun,” Pazmany said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
