5 Kansas communities honored

The Kansas PRIDE program has honored five communities across the state with its Community of Excellence award for their ongoing accomplishments in community development.

This year’s recipients include Delia, Grainfield, Humboldt, Leonardville and Olsburg.

The Kansas PRIDE program is a partnership of K-State Research and Extension, the Kansas Department of Commerce, the Kansas Masons, and Kansas PRIDE, Inc.

The award is given to local PRIDE volunteer groups that continuously work to improve their communities through activities such as determining the community’s needs, establishing goals, creating projects, and celebrating successes, said Jaime Menon, state leader for community vitality and co-coordinator for the Kansas PRIDE Program. Volunteers form a local PRIDE organization that works with K-State Research and Extension and the Kansas Department of Commerce to accomplish its goals.

As Community of Excellence award winners, they are eligible to apply for Volunteers Impact PRIDE grants of up to $15,000 to fund future community improvements. The Community of Excellence designation is awarded to a community for a set period of three years.