Honoring community
The City of Sunnyvale honored its annual Community Award winners at the State of the City celebration on Saturday, Sept. 21.
Nitya Narasimhan, founder and artistic director of Prayukti Arts, was lauded for her contribution to the arts. Rohan Mittal was named High School Student of the Year for helping organize Saint Francis High School’s seventh annual 12-hour hackathon. Leigh Odum, owner of Leigh’s Favorite Books/Bookasaurus was tapped as Businessperson of the Year. The award for Educator of the Year went to Fremont High School English teacher Aisha Lomando.
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Community for Natural Play Surfaces, one of 12 grassroots organizations that fought to have natural grass instead of artificial turf installed at all athletic fields in the Fremont Union High School District, was honored for Environmental Achievement. Cortney Jansen of the Lakewood Village Neighborhood Association was named Volunteer of the Year, and Mark Kato of the Sunnyvale Sister City Association got the nod as Distinguished Resident.
Mayor Larry Klein presented two Mayor’s Awards of Excellence at the State of the City celebration. Jan Camp, 92, received the individual award for her 60-plus years of involvement in the Sunnyvale community. In addition to teaching and coaching Sunnyvale middle school students for more than 35 years before her retirement, Camp co-founded Our Daily Bread, a Sunnyvale nonprofit that serves hot meals and extras to anyone in need three days a week at St Thomas Episcopal Church. Camp joined the Sunnyvale Historical Society in 1981 and was instrumental in raising the funds to build the history museum.
The Sunnyvale Rotary Club, founded in 1926, received the mayor’s group award. Klein cited programs where the club donates books to elementary and middle schools in the city and club members read books to elementary schoolchildren in the classroom.
Club members also volunteer with other local nonprofits, Klein said, including Sunnyvale Community Services.
The city accepts award nominations from the community year-round. For more information, visit https://www.sunnyvale.ca.gov/your-government/about/about-sunnyvale/community-awards.
