This St. Patrick’s Day, the Charleston Area Alliance toasted 12 organizations, businesses and individuals for making the region a better place in which to live, work and play.

The Alliance and title sponsor City National Bank hosted the fourth annual We Love Our Community awards program, recognizing the best of the Kanawha Valley.

“We love shining a spotlight on the best of Charleston,” said Susie Salisbury, the Alliance’s vice president of community development. “Creating the future is not only about building a more vibrant community and prosperous economy – it’s also about recognizing the assets we already have. As we saw during the awards program, we have no shortage of positivity.”

Local artist Rob Cleland literally crafted the awards “piece by piece.” Each award is a puzzle piece, on while is a painted image of the recipient. The pieces fit together to create a visualization of the region’s integrity.

While the winners could take the pieces home, a drop-cloth recreation of the overall image now hangs above Hale Street following a presentation that punctuated the We Love Our Community ceremony.

Larry Groce, artistic director for “Mountain Stage,” hosted the event, joining a group of “street musicians” who performed throughout the event.

“In the evening’s recipients, we see a vision of what our community is all about – progress, hard work and a shared sense of pride,” said Alliance President and CEO Matt Ballard. “We are honored to recognize those making a true difference.”

The 2011 recipients:

Kanawha Heritage Award

Heritage is “the rights or possessions handed down from ancestors, traditions.”  We honor a business or organization that keeps the heritage of our valley alive. 

Winner:  Galperin Jewelry, Bob Shay – owner

Servant Leader Award
Honoring a public servant for outstanding leadership in the Kanawha Valley community. 

Winner:  St. Albans Mayor Dick Callaway

Community Celebration Award
Celebration is “a festive occasion.”  This award honors an outstanding community event that celebrates a neighborhood, area or region. 

Winner:  Smoke on the Water Chili Cookoff

Best Development Award
Development means “expansion, growth, gain.”  This award honors a project that redefines itself by reusing a former building or site for a new, sustainable use. 

Winner:  Haddad Riverfront Park, City of Charleston

Best Re-development Award
An existing structure, given new life through redesign and refurbishment. 

Winner:  Kent Carper Justice & Public Safety Building, Kanawha County Commission

James R. Thomas Outstanding Volunteer Award
Volunteer means “to give freely of your time.”  This award recognizes outstanding volunteer contributions to the Charleston Area Alliance and their programs/projects that impact community development in the Kanawha Valley.

Winner:  H. Joseph Jones

Youth Volunteer Award
Outstanding community involvement/project by someone 18 years of age or younger. 

Winner:  Emma Busse, Charleston Catholic High School

Arts to the Max Award – Individual
Individual means “unique, special.”  This award honors an individual who has contributed time/money/expertise etc to taking “Arts to the Max” in our community. 

Winner:  Nina Denton Pasinetti

Jeff Miller Sustainable Development Award
Sustain means “to keep in existence; maintain or prolong.”  The award honors and individual, an organization or a project that maintains the basis of sustainable development. 

Winner:  Hospice Care WV Administration Building

Outstanding Preservation Award
Preservation means “protection from injury, harm or destruction and to keep alive and intact.”   This award honors a project that has exemplified the meaning of preserving our past for our future. 

Winner: Lowenstein Building, NewPort One – owner, Pison Development – developer

 Arts to the Max Award – Organization
Organization means “an association or a group of people working together for a common purpose.”  This award is to honor an organization that takes “Arts to the Max” in our community. 

Winner:  Appalachian Children’s Chorus

Do The Charleston Award
Someone who goes above and beyond in making Charleston a better place to live, work and play.  

Winner:  L. Newton Thomas