6 WINNERS CHOSEN TO RECEIVE $500 AMAZON GIFT CARD
November 24, 2020. Louisville, KY. – The Kentucky Derby Festival and Amazon are sharing inspiring stories from six individuals who’ve been named 2020 Community Champions. After a four-week nomination process, the winning Community Champions were selected from more than 100 nominees. Each Community Champion has gone above and beyond to help others through challenging times.
“So many inspiring stories of Community Champions have been shared with us. Seeing all the good being done is uplifting in a year like what we’ve all been through,” said Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival President and CEO. “This community has supported the Derby Festival for so many years, celebrating these Champions is just a small way we can say ‘Thank You.’ We hope everyone will join us in congratulating them!”
The 2020 Community Champions are:
Images of all the winners are available at this link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/uc98n5xfuvwazbl/AAAk_vrwOjyAmr7uMpSs3zkCa?dl=0
Cecil and Vanessa Goodwin of Mt. Washington, KY – The Goodwins created the Noel Scholarship Fund 17 years ago in memory of their son who lost his battle with cancer. Through the scholarship fund, they’ve turned their own tragedy into blessings for others. They’ve helped the most in-need population, including students in their community and within Jefferson County Public Schools. Their work has continued throughout 2020.
Jeremy Harrell of Louisville – Harrell, President of Veteran’s Club, selflessly gives of his time to help veterans throughout Kentuckiana. He works to provide services including food for homeless veterans, as well as activities to help engage local veterans within the community. Harrell is currently leading a project called Camp Restoration, which repurposes shipping containers so they can be used as housing for homeless veterans and their families.
Chaim Litvin of Louisville – Litvin leads a volunteer organization at Project Friendship, a local non-profit that provides clothing and other items to those in need. Under his leadership, the organization has been able to donate more than $1 million worth of clothing to those in the community who need it most. Litvin also worked to open “Friendship Corner” inside Norton Children’s Oncology Department to help provide additional services and help meet the needs of their patients.
Alli Overfield of Louisville – Overfield, a pediatric nurse at Norton Children’s Hospital on the oncology floor, works to care for both her pediatric patients and their families. Overfield helped spearhead a drive to collect toiletry items for family members who often spend nights at the hospital with their children. After receiving an overwhelming response for donations, she turned her home into a donation center where she collects basic items for parents including toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, shaving kits and other necessities.
Brooklyn Roller of Cox’s Creek, KY – Roller began volunteering with the non-profit Ardi’s Bears when she was 7 years old. The organization provides teddy bears for children in hospitals. Roller, now 18 years old, has collected over 3,500 bears that have been given to kids throughout Kentuckiana. She’s also started her own teddy bear project and partners with the Dream Factory to send a smile through a teddy bear to children around the country.
Rogerio Torres of Lexington, KY – Torres came to Kentucky from Brazil to start a family and a ministry devoted to helping the immigrant and refugee population in our community. Working in Louisville through the Immigrant Compassion Center, he offers worship services without language barriers to help provide sojourners spiritual comfort. With degrees in Divinity and Law, Torres also provides free counsel to those in the community who seek naturalization. He offers his time and support to those families in need as they try to make their home in a new country.
Each 2020 Community Champion receives a $500 Amazon Gift Card, as well as a framed 2020 Official Kentucky Derby Festival Poster and other Festival goodies.
Members of the Derby Festival staff, outfitted in their signature pink Festival jackets, are delivering the prizes to the winners to ensure they receive their gifts by Thanksgiving. Special signs celebrating the Community Champions are also being put in each winner’s yard.
About Kentucky Derby Festival
The Derby Festival is an independent community organization supported by 4,000 volunteers, more than 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. It entertains more than 1.5 million people in a two- week period and has a local economic impact of more than $127 million. This involvement has made the Festival the largest single attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
