2022 Kalkaska Citizen and Business of the Year Award Winners Announced

[Image description: 2022 Kalkaska Citizen of the Year, Debbie Ball-Odeh with her son, Spencer on left; an exterior photo of 2022 Business of the Year, BC Pizza Kalkaska on the right]

Continuing a 51-year tradition, this year’s Kalkaska Citizen and Business of the Year have been selected through a community nomination process facilitated through the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation. The 2022 Kalkaska Citizen of the Year is Debbie Ball-Odeh and the 2022 Kalkaska Business of the Year is BC Pizza Kalkaska, owned by the Hammontree family.

“I am humbled beyond words to have been chosen to receive the Kalkaska Citizen of the Year Award,” said Debbie Ball-Odeh. “I love being so involved in my community, especially with anything for our kids. Seeing their faces light up at the Trout Fest parade or playing a game during the Fair’s Kids’ Day makes all the planning and work worth every minute.”

The Citizen of the Year Award was established in 1970 to honor a community member for their exceptional service and commitment to the Kalkaska community while the Business of the Year Award was established in 2005 to honor a local business for their outstanding service to the Kalkaska community.

“We love how the Village of Kalkaska comes together for its citizens in celebration or sorrow and we are grateful to be part of this awesome community. Thank you for the Business of the Year Award, Kalkaska. We love you!” said Kati Hammontree, co-owner of BC Pizza Kalkaska.

The award winners will be honored at the Kalkaska Community Awards, an event hosted by the Community Foundation and sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan on Thursday, June 9 from 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm at the Railroad Square Pavilion in downtown Kalkaska. The cost to attend is $20 per person and event registration is now available at www.gtrcf.org/kalkaska. The full cost of event registrations will be donated to the Foundation’s Endowment for Kalkaska Area, a permanent fund dedicated to supporting the Kalkaska community.

Additional event sponsorships are available; contact Pam Amundsen at pamundsen@gtrcf.org for more information. In addition to recognizing the 2022 Kalkaska Business and Citizen of the Year, the Community Foundation sponsored a scholarship award for this year’s Miss Kalkaska, Delaney Denike, who will be invited to attend the awards event.