Pratt Receives Citizen of the Year at Chamber Gala

The Kearney Chamber of Commerce presented five prestigious awards at its second annual Harvest Gala on Thursday, September 29. The Citizen of the Year Bob Tate Memorial award was presented to former Fire Chief Larry Pratt.

I'm very humbled and honored to be recognized for the Bob Tate Citizen of the Year award - Larry Pratt

Members of the Kearney area business community came dressed in their best neon colors to the Chamber’s “Neon Night Out” themed gala event at the Tobacco Barn Farm. The event celebrated area businesses with food, entertainment, and Business Excellence Awards.

The first award presented was the Rising Star award. This award recognizes a new business or a business that reignited, rebranded, or reinvented itself over the last year. The winner of the Rising Star Award was Three Birdies Boutique.

The next award was the Chamber Dedication award. This award celebrates a person, business, or organization who has exhibited dedication to the Chamber through service, support, and/or tenure of membership. The Chamber Dedication award went to Jewelee Cox of the Tobacco Barn Farm.

The third award was the Biggest Community Impact award. This honor recognizes a person, business or organization that has had the biggest impact on our community in the last year. The winner of this award was the Gerri Spencer from the Kearney Historic Museum.

The next award was the Business of the Year award. The Business of the Year award was introduced by the Ambassador Committee. Business of the Year nominees are former Business of the Month recipients, who are nominated by that committee. This honor went to Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative.

The final award of the evening was the Citizen of the Year award. This award is given to recognize an outstanding member of the chamber community who, through their personal involvement, leadership abilities, and selfless giving of their time and talent, has positively affected Kearney and the lives of its citizens. The Citizen of the Year Award honors those who’s contributions to Kearney have been both a recent effort resulting in a substantial benefit to the community, and a steady, reliable long-term history of service to Kearney. This award was presented former Fire Chief Larry Pratt.

“I'm very humbled and honored to be recognized for the Bob Tate Citizen of the Year award,” Pratt told KPGZ news. “I served with Bob in multiple organizations and will always remember his commitment to Kearney. A special thanks to my wife and all my family that have supported me in participating with all these organizations and the community involvement and work ethic instilled in us by my parents. It's a Great Day to be a Bulldog!”

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story