Kelowna Civic & Community Awards/ screen grab from City of Kelowna video

By Vernon Matters Staff

honoring community

Kelowna’s 50th Annual Civic & Community Award finalists

Mar 31, 2025 | 4:31 PM

The city of Kelowna has announced the top three finalists across all the categories for the 50th annual Civic & Community Awards.

People and organizations will be honoured at a community gala in early May in categories such as volunteers, artists, coaches, athletes, businesses, and non-profits.

And of course there is the Young Citizen and Citizen of the Year awards.

Here’s the full list.

Honour in the Arts

Court Case

Guilty plea expected in flight from police case

6h ago

Stolen Pickup Truck

Arrest made following police chase and crash in Vernon

9h ago

Election 2025

Local Liberal candidate says U.S. trade war a top priority

10h ago

supported by artsco

• Erikka Moojelsky
• Bonnie Gratz
• Tyson Cook/Freida Whales

Teen Honour in the Arts

sponsored by UBC Okanagan

• Freeze The Fall
• Almendra Osorio
• Nicholas Covaser

Bob Giordano Memorial Award – Coach/Sport Administrator of the Year

• Bill Franzman
• Kristin Smart
• Travis Miller

Bryan Couling Memorial Award – Athletic Team of the Year

sponsored by Coast Capital

• UBCO Men’s Golf Team
• Okanagan FC U15 Boys Team
• OKM Sr. Girls Volleyball Team

Female Athlete of the Year

sponsored by the Payton and Dillon Budd Memorial Fund

• Kylie Olivia Taylor
• Elizabeth Henne
• Mackenzie Adams

Male Athlete of the Year

sponsored by the Payton and Dillon Budd Memorial Fund

• Brent Fikowski
• Jerome Blake
• Elelyon Noa

Augie Ciancone Memorial Award – Young Female Athlete of the Year

presented by the Okanagan Central Schools Athletic Association

• Maya Andruchow
• Rhiannon Spinks
• Ashlyn Swan

Augie Ciancone Memorial Award – Young Male Athlete of the Year

presented by the Okanagan Central Schools Athletic Association

• Davin Hamm
• Dominic Sodaro
• Eliott Vander Horst

Champion for the Environment

sponsored by Peter’s Your Independent Grocer

• Beverly Kalmakoff
• EcoCooks
• Kane Blake

Corporate Community of the Year Award

sponsored by KCR

• RBC Wealth Management, Dominion Securities
• Doane Grant Thornton
• Valley First, a Division of First West Credit Union

Central Okanagan Foundation – Volunteer Organization of the Year

sponsored by Central Okanagan Foundation

• Inspired Word Café
• Special Olympics Kelowna
• Cool Arts Society

Young Citizen of the Year

sponsored by Crowe Mackay

• Delaney Neukomm
• Kevin Kim
• Ainsley Wood

Fred Macklin & Sarah Donalda-Treadgold Memorial Award – Citizen of the Year

sponsored by Fortis BC

• Clayton Gall
• Rhonda Hymers
• Jamie Carpenter