Main Street Enid has received the Oklahoma Main Street Community of the Year award.

Among 11 other Top Main Street Communities eligible for the award, Enid was given the honor during the 27th annual Main Street awards banquet on Tuesday.

“I am so thrilled to have won the Community of the Year award,” Main Street Enid Director Kelly Tompkins said.

“I attended so many training opportunities in 2015, including Leadership Arts, I thought this would be our best chance to win. I didn’t know how I could possibly fit more into one year,” Tompkins said.

The award is now based on an essay, describing the contributions and accomplishments Main Street Enid made last year in the four points of organization, design, promotion and economic vitality, she said.

“Main Street Enid gets to keep the traveling award until next year’s Main Street awards banquet, which we will now be part of coordinating,” Tompkins said.

The other top communities — earning the most quality assurance points — were Ada, Altus, Collinsville, El Reno, Hobart, Newkirk, Ponca City, Prague, Pryor and Woodward, according to a news release from Oklahoma Main Street Center earlier this year.

Winners in 21 competitive award categories were announced during the banquet, and Main Street Enid received three other awards.

“I was shocked to win three other awards,” Tompkins said. “Since I became the director in 2012, we have always won one award, which is a great honor, considering there are over 250 nominations submitted in 21 award categories, from 36 communities.”

There are awards under each of “four points” in the Main Street Approach — Organization, Promotion, Economic Vitality and Design.

“Each year brings another wonderful collection of creative entries that continue to amaze and impress us with their uniqueness,” Linda Barnett, director of Oklahoma Main Street program, said. “These award winners give us a chance to highlight many outstanding programs, projects, people and services that our Main Street communities offer their residents and visitors, alike. We are thankful for all of their efforts to make each of their commercial districts a wonderful place to live, work and play. It’s a big job that requires hours of time and effort on behalf of many people and these awards pay tribute to those efforts.”

“It was exciting for Food for Thought to win this year, as it raised almost $14,000 for other organizations’ downtown projects in 2015,” Tompkins said. “The retiring Oklahoma Main Street Center Director, Linda Barnett, has attended our Food for Thought event and added it to training for new Main Street towns. It is a huge compliment for something to be implemented in other communities.”

In Promotion, Main Street Enid was awarded Outstanding Image Promotion for the Downtown Enid History website.

Under Design, the Best Placemaking Project was awarded to Main Street Enid for the Breezeway Pocket Park.

“I never dreamed we would go home with three awards plus Community of the Year. I hoped for one award, so this was a great surprise. Several other communities have already said they are now even more excited to attend the Statewide Preservation Conference in Enid, June 1-3, which we are co-hosting,” Tompkins said.

She noted Keep Enid Beautiful was a top three finalist for the beautification of the downtown corners.

“I would have loved for them to win, but we will appreciate and celebrate their work, accomplishment and partnerships on an ongoing basis,” Tompkins said. “We were also glad to recognize Lisa Powell as Board Member of the Year. She is a solid member of our board who has helped us continue to move forward in new and stronger ways.”

Story by Enid News & Eagle