Nomination forms are now available for the 2015 Student of the Year and Citizen of the Year in Riverbank. Forms must be returned to Riverbank City Hall, 6706 Third St., by 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19.
The awards are sponsored by the Citizen of the Year Committee and the City of Riverbank. The winners will be announced at the annual Community Awards banquet, scheduled for Jan. 23, 2016, at the Riverbank Community Center.
The honor, originally titled Man of the Year, was begun in 1962 as a way to recognize community service and volunteerism. Bruce Blakely was the first MOY, and the honor has been bestowed on both men and women of all walks of life since. In 2012, 50 years of volunteerism in Riverbank was celebrated by the group. The Citizen of the Year Committee is sometimes still referred to the MOY/COY Committee.
According to a committee spokesperson, any individual or organization may nominate a candidate, with forms for the purpose available at city hall, the Riverbank Historical Museum when it is open, and other city offices around town. They’re also available on the city’s website, along with information about the group. Officials said a simple search in the box at the top of the website would bring up the necessary information. Search at http://www.riverbank.org.
Nominators must include the name and contact information for the candidate, along with the reasons for the nomination. Only one person per application will be accepted and no couples or teams will be accepted. Nomination forms will be reviewed by the committee to insure that they meet the given guidelines.
Nominations must use the Official Nomination form format. Additional pages may be added if necessary.
When considering a candidate for nomination, the committee asks for focus on the contributions of the nominee to the Riverbank community, highlighting their activities aside from their job responsibilities. Emphasize nominees who have given selflessly of their personal time and talents for the betterment of the community, whether they are known by many or few. Point out outstanding accomplishments in community service to others and impact of achievement on the community.
Rules state a nominee must be either a citizen of Riverbank or work in the City of Riverbank.
Citizen of the Year is not a one night event and involves duties and participation throughout the year, from conducting committee meetings in 2016 to acting as Grand Marshal for the Annual Christmas Parade in 2016.
Only one award recipient is honored each year, with the exception of a tie in the voting.
The winner receives a plaque, and the title of Citizen of the Year, with the aforementioned duties.
Although anyone may nominate someone, only COY Committee members vote for a winner, they said. This is done via an official ballot, that is mailed to all surviving committee members and returned to city hall for counting. The ballot committee will consist of a city employee and two COY members.
Similar principles guide the Student of the Year process, officials said. The main difference being the student winner will also receive a small scholarship award to further his or her education.
In the case of the SOY nominations, forms also are available on the city’s website and at city offices as well as the Historical Museum. In addition, they are available in the high school counselor’s offices, with the same deadlines as the COY nominations.
For more information, contact Norma Torres-Manriquez at city hall, 863-7153, or by e-mail at nmanriquez@riverbank.org.
