The countdown is on for the 5th Annual Celebrate Awards, and United Way of Greater Chattanooga unveils the finalists across five award categories. "This year’s awards highlight the heart of our community—nonprofits and volunteers working collaboratively across sectors to make Greater Chattanooga a better place for everyone," officials said.
“These finalists represent the best of what happens when passion meets effective action,” said Abby Garrison, vice president of Community Investments at United Way of Greater Chattanooga.
“Nonprofits are not only the heart of our community—they’re the powerful engine driving real change. Through the Celebrate Awards, we honor the leaders, volunteers, and partners who roll up their sleeves every day to tackle challenges and create lasting solutions, building a more connected community across Chattanooga.”
More than 130 nominations were submitted, and a selection committee carefully reviewed each nomination to select three finalists per category. To learn more about the finalists and their work, visit unitedwaycha.org/celebrate.
Finalists for the five distinct categories are:
Nonprofit Organization of the Year -
• Austin Hatcher Foundation;
• First Things First; and
• KELCURT Foundation.
Nonprofit Leader of the Year -
• Dave Buck with Chattanooga Autism Center;
• Sydney Guerrette with Be the Change Youth Initiative; and
• Kevin Hyde with Partnership for Families, Children and Adults.
Live United, not Divided Award - Sponsored by Roper Corporation -
• Be the Change Youth Initiative;
• Chattamatters; and
• The AIM Center.
Rising Star Award - Celebrating a new or emerging nonprofit that is driving innovation and serving our community in exciting ways -
• Chattanooga Free Store;
• Noogavision Theatre & Performing Arts; and
• The Bridge Builder Collective.
Volunteer of the Year -
• Azurae Redmond, mental health advocate and nonprofit leader;
• Margy Oehmig, volunteer for Metropolitan Ministries; and
• Snowe Green, volunteer for Welcome Home of Chattanooga.
Winners in each category will be revealed at the Celebrate Awards ceremony on April 17 at 5 p.m. The event will be held at Common House Chattanooga.
Officials said, "The Celebrate Awards are made possible by generous sponsors who are deeply committed to uplifting local nonprofits and building a more connected community. The 2025 sponsors include Roper Corporation, Shaw Industries, First Horizon Bank, Husch Blackwell, Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, Smart Bank and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee.
"If you’d like to join United Way in rolling out the red carpet for these outstanding changemakers, get your tickets today at
unitedwaycha.org/celebrate. If you have any questions about the event, please reach out to events@uwchatt.org."