Seward County Community Service Award

Since 1969, the community of Seward has honored an individual that has given service to the State of Nebraska with the annual “Nebraskan’s Friend Award.”  This award is presented to an individual based on service to the entire state.

The Seward Fourth of July Celebration Committee also wanted to honor a local resident that has been an outstanding volunteer in the greater Seward area.  Nominations are presented to the committee and narrowed to about six or less.  The six candidates are interviewed by a reporter from the Seward County Independent and the article runs in the first edition of their May issues.  A ballot is printed in the Seward County Independent for four weeks and the candidates are voted on by the general public during the month of May.

The ballots are counted on the first of June and the winner is announced at the Seward Chamber of Commerce’s annual July 4 Kick-Off Luncheon at the Civic Center at noon on the second Tuesday of the month.  All the candidates are introduced and honored and presented with certificates of appreciation.  It should be noted that in previous years, the winner of the award was not announced until the end of the day and they were honored the next year.  That tradition was changed to make the honor in sync with the vote by the public.  Now the winner is honored the year it is announced.

The winner is announced and presented with a plaque, sponsored by the Seward VFW Auxiliary Post 4755.  The award is co-sponsored by the Seward Fourth of July Celebration Committee, the Seward County Independent and the Seward VFW Post 4755 Auxilary.

A plaque was donated by the Jones National Bank and Trust to the Committee, with the engraved names of all the Seward County Community Service Awardees and hangs in the Civic Center.  The name or names of the new winner is added yearly.

The winner is then one of our honored guests on July 4, attends the Governor’s Reception with their family, rides in the parade with their family and is honored at 6:00 pm on the Fourth at the Band shell official welcome.

Candidates for 2009 are
Dawn Navis Seward, Jane Graff Seward, Jeannie Jeary Seward, Robert Kirkland Garland, Larry Barth-Utica

The winner of the 2009 Seward County Community Service Award is
Larry Barth was selected to recieve the 2009 Seward County Community Service Award through a vote of the public with ballots in the local Seward County Independent.  The award was announced at the annual July 4 Kick Off Luncheon.  Larry is a graduate of Utica High School and moved to Lincoln to work in 1955.  He served in the US Army from 1958-60 came back to Lincoln and then Utica and has been there ever since.  In 1964 he joined the Utica Fire Department and helped build the firehall.  He is active in his church and a member of the Utica City Council for 36 years.  The Seward County Community Service Award is co-sponsored by the Seward Fourth of July Committee, the Seward Independent and the Seward VFW Auxialary.  Larry will attend the Governor's reception, ride in the Grand Parade and be honored at the bandshell following the parade. 

Note: Previous winners and candidates will be added to this website after the Fourth. For a complete listing, contact the Seward Chamber of Commerce office at 616 Bradford Avenue, Seward, NE 68434.