Co–Community Members Of The Year Named Following Tie-Breaker Vote
For the first time in the history of the Community Member of the Year (CMOY) honor, the final vote ended in a perfect tie. After a tie was noted following the initial CMOY ballots were cast, the CMOY committee shared a special tie-breaker ballot to decide the winner. However, an even number of ballots were cast and once again the results were deadlocked. A total of 284 votes were cast for the 2025 Community Member of the Year, with each finalist receiving exactly 142 votes.
With the tie, DeLacy Mitchell and Laura Wallace have been named as Co– Community Members of the Year for 2025.
Mitchell and Wallace were among the individuals recognized as Community Members of the Month (CMOM) during 2025. Others receiving the monthly honor included Connie Mitchell, Larry and Jo Evans, Christine Mouer, and Michele Seeley. Individuals named Community Member of the Month in 2025 are not eligible for the 2026 honor but will again be eligible in 2027.
A special reception to celebrate Mitchell and Wallace will be held at a later date.
Mitchell was nominated for the CMOM honor for her continuous support for others and her willingness to hold fundraisers on their behalf.
Wallace was nominated for the CMOM honor for her continued efforts of sharing kindness through the “Kind Like Kenlee Memorial.” Wallace has been instrumental in the project helping others find their voice/ guiding them to sharing kindness with their communities. Wallace has helped the Kind Like Kenlee Memorial organize the annual Breakfast with the Easter Bunny event, scholarships, Kindness Awards at Marshall Elementary, Free Swim days, DJ for dances, free community coffee and more.
The Community Member of the Month and Year program was created in February 2021 after Lo-Mar Drive-In and
collaborated to highlight positive interactions and service within the Eureka community.
Today, the program continues through the joint efforts of Lo-Mar Drive-In, The Eureka Herald and the City of Eureka. Community members are encouraged to submit nominations each month recognizing individuals who go above and beyond to serve others. A committee reviews nominations and selects one honoree per month. Monthly recipients receive a certificate and a gift certificate in recognition of their contributions.
At the end of each year, all monthly winners are placed on a community ballot, allowing residents to vote for who they believe should be named CMOY. The winner—or winners, in this case—are recognized at a reception and presented with a plaque.
Community members wishing to nominate someone for CMOM may submit a letter including their name, the nominee’s name, and the reason for the nomination. Anonymous nominations are accepted, though contact information is requested in case additional details are needed.
Nominations may be mailed to The Eureka Herald, P.O. Box 590, Eureka, KS 67045, or emailed to Robin Wunderlich at [email protected]. Nomination forms are also available at The Eureka Herald, Lo-Mar Drive-In, and the City of Eureka water office.
For more information on how to participate, contact Robin Wunderlich at 620-750-0714 or committee members Dolores Ball, Daniel McVey, or Desiree McVey.
The CMOM committee plans to present the first recipient of 2026 on Friday, March 6, at 12:15 p.m. Additional details, including the recipient, will be shared in a future publication.
