Tanya Stidham, left, and Lyn Haval are the recipients of the 2021 Community Assets Award. Photo by Bernadette Lauritzen

C’YA NEWS RELEASE

Champions of Youth Ambitions (C’YA) has announced top award for the 2021 winners of the Community Asset Awards. The Spirit of the West Award was presented to Lyn Haval and Tanya Stidham who along with members of the Los Alamos Church of Christ worked tirelessly making, sewing, quilting and distributing prayer quilts to Los Alamos community and beyond.

This year, Tanya knew of a nursery school that had burnt down in another state and without hesitation, both ladies stepped up and made 110 quilts, one for each child to receive when the new school was built.

Lyn was also instrumental in helping a small group of ladies make a wedding quilt for a young couple in very difficult circumstances on very short notice.

Haval and Stidham, most visible for the work, were selected from several top contenders for the Grand Award. The award is named for former Los Alamos County Councilor Jim West. The beautiful piece of art is handmade by artist and welder Richard Ronquillo of Rich Welding, LLC.

More on all of the nominees will be available later this week. Champions of Youth Ambitions is a local non-profit celebrating 14 years of the Community Asset Awards. www.cya-nm.org