The Centralia Downtown Association (CDA) was awarded a special recognition for Purposeful Promotion for their efforts in organizing Centralia's Founder's Day event and collaborating with the City Of Centralia to have Founders Day declared and annual holiday in Centralia in memory of the town’s founder, George Washington. 

The award was issued during an Excellence On Main Street banquet, which was held as a part of the Places Conference in Walla Walla last week.

“We're honored to have our efforts to memorialize George Washington recognized at this level,” said  CDA Executive Director MacKenzie McGee, who accepted the award at the banquet. “While a lot of volunteer time and effort went into the planning and execution of the event, the real honor is just getting George’s inspiring story heard by folks who help shape the future of Washington's Main Street communities. We hope he can continue to inspire folks to believe in the power of doing right by our fellow humans even beyond the borders of Centralia.”

Also recognized for Excellence On Main Street for her exceptional volunteerism in Centralia was Edna Fund, CDA board member and Historic Committee chair, particularly with the successful launch of the historic plaque project. 

The historic plaques have been successfully placed at Centralia City Hall, the Centralia Train Depot and the Centralia Timberland Library thus far, with several more to be placed soon. 

In nominating Fund for the special recognition, McGee wrote: “No one truly knows the vast extent of her volunteerism, but we do know that Edna makes this place better. She is the personification of ‘Love where You Live,’ and Hub City loves Edna Fund.”

When asked about her award, Fund stated that she was “totally surprised. Why would I get an award for being a member of such an amazing team who knows how to get things done?! The whole team deserves the award.”

The Centralia Downtown Association is a nonprofit with a mission to create a vibrant downtown experience for locals and visitors by promoting historic preservation, economic growth and creative place making in downtown Centralia. 

For more information on the CDA or to find out how to get involved, visit https://downtowncentralia.org/.