Big Brothers Big Sisters of Humboldt & Area (BBBS) held their annual Big Celebration on Thursday, September 20th at the Humboldt and District Museum & Gallery. The event was to celebrate the supporters and volunteers who have been involved with BBBS throughout the year.

During the event, awards were handed out to recognize select people who have gone "above and beyond," said Jodie Hergott, the Development Coordinator of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Humboldt & Area. "We really feel it's important to show our gratitude to our volunteers and supporters because without them we can't do what we need to do every day and operate as successfully as we do."

Four awards were given out to members throughout the night.

The Champion Award, which is given to a business who supports BBBS repeatedly, was awarded to The Bella Vista Inn. "Judy from the Bella Vista is always there, she is very generous with her time and resources. She is always willing to lend a hand and pull off a fundraiser or support us in an event," said Hergott.

The Volunteer of the Year Award was handed out to Kevin Grieman. "Kevin donates his time and knowledge, he does a lot of I.T. support for us. He is always so friendly and positive and just a pure joy to work with."

The Mentor of the Year Award was awarded to Becky Zimmer. "Mentor of the Year was a really difficult decision," said Hergott. "We have a ton of great people that we are fortunate to have as mentors. The winner this year goes above and beyond. She is not only a mentor, but she is one of the first people to volunteer an extra set of hands for events and we wanted to recognize her."

Finally, The Youth of the Year Award was awarded posthumously to Brody Hinz. "Brody was aging out as a youth and he wanted to turn around and become a Big Brother and help other people. We wanted to tell the world what a great guy he was and recognize his giving caring spirit for his family too."

With September wrapping up, so is Big Brother Big Sister Month. Hergott said, "The waitlist for youths has seen a significant increase this year so we are going to do our best to recruit some new volunteers and mentors and try and knock that number down or even eliminate it totally."