Updike Receives Citizen of the Year Award

The Kearney Chamber of Commerce presented five prestigious awards at its fourth annual Harvest Gala on Thursday, September 26. The Citizen of the Year Bob Tate Memorial award was presented to Lyle Updike of Updike BBQ.

Matthew Hoyt, Lyle Updike, Jason Hoyt, Shawn Barber

Members of the Kearney area business community came dressed in their best Cuban attire to the Chamber’s “Hot Havana Nights” themed gala event at the Tobacco Barn Farm. The event celebrated area businesses with food, entertainment, and Business Excellence Awards.

The first award presented was the Rising Star award. This award recognizes a new business or a business that reignited, rebranded, or reinvented itself over the last year. The winner of the Rising Star Award was T7 Custom Sports & T7 Lets Play.

The next award was the Chamber Dedication award. This award celebrates a person, business, or organization who has exhibited dedication to the Chamber through service, support, and/or tenure of membership. The Chamber Dedication award went to Shawn Barber of Conrad's Kitchen and Patio.

The third award was the Biggest Community Impact award. This honor recognizes a person, business or organization that has had the biggest impact on our community in the last year. The winner of this award was Jason Hoyt and Kearney Trust Company.

The next award was the Business of the Year award. The Business of the Year award was introduced by the Ambassador Committee. Business of the Year nominees are former Business of the Month recipients, who are nominated by that committee. This honor went to Farm Fresh Meats.

Kristen Atwell, Lyle Updike, Stacie Bratcher

The final award of the evening was the Citizen of the Year award. This award is given to recognize an outstanding member of the chamber community who, through their personal involvement, leadership abilities, and selfless giving of their time and talent, has positively affected Kearney and the lives of its citizens. The Citizen of the Year Award honors those who’s contributions to Kearney have been both a recent effort resulting in a substantial benefit to the community, and a steady, reliable long-term history of service to Kearney. This award was presented to Lyle Updike of Updike BBQ.

"Lyle does a phenomenal job of recognizing those who deserve it most – our military, veterans and first responders,” reads a Chamber of Commerce announcement. “He volunteers his time and talent to serve those who deserve it most, not just in Kearney, but all around the northland."

Brian Watts contributed to this story.