Nominations due Oct. 11 for Rural Spirit Award for advocacy, community service and youth leadership; $2,000 each

Rural marketing agency Osborn Barr Paramore is accepting nominations through Oct. 11 for its fourth annual Rural Spirit Awards, which honor people in three categories for promoting community service and economic development. Each winner receives $2,000 to donate to the non-profit organization of their choice. All winners will be announced and recognized in an awards celebration on Oct. 21. Click here for more information or to nominate someone.

For the Community Service Award, OBP seeks "an individual who exhibits the rural spirit through exceptional service in the name of community growth . . . a willingness to go above and beyond — selflessly donating the time and support in an effort to positively influence their local community," says the website. The 2020 winners, Carol Graf and Diane Schmidt, run a transportation service and produce delivery service called Rides Here LLC in Waverly, Missouri. Both transit services and fresh groceries are often hard to find in rural areas. 

The Next Gen Award is for someone age 21 or under who has "demonstrated uncommon leadership through community service efforts or innovative thinking throughout their rural community," says the website. The 2020 winner, Jack White, is the founder and executive director of the Rural Leadership Initiative, which funds rural undergraduates' public service internships and projects. The initiative is an effort to combat rural "brain drain."

The Rural Advocacy Award is for "an individual who proudly embodies the heart of rural America," the website says. "Any potential Rural Advocacy Award recipient should be an integral part of their community — working hard to spur economic development, create jobs and advocate for growth." This category essentially replaces the Economic Development award from last year. The 2020 winner, Carolyn Chrisman, has been the director of Missouri's Kirksville Regional Economic Development Inc. since 2012. KREDI is a non-profit public/private partnership that works to promote economic growth through business recruitment and expansion.