FOLEY - Oct. 15 was a proud night for Foley Main Street when an award ceremony was held at Oui Oui Paris. Main Street Alabama President/State Coordinator Mary Helmer presented the organization with three Awards of Excellence: the Main Street Hero Award, Promotion Award, and Public Relations Award.

“When we do the nomination process, every community gets the chance to nominate one hero award, and then they can nominate in all the other competitive categories as well,” said Helmer. “This year, we had 247 nominations. We do 47 awards. [Foley] got two of the competitive awards and then a hero award, so as a fairly new Main Street city that’s pretty good.”

The awards, uniquely created by various Alabama artists each year to support the local arts, are typically handed out during a large awards ceremony to bring the Main Street communities together. The event was canceled due to COVID this year, with smaller award ceremonies taking place in Main Street communities.

Mayor John Koniar was the recipient of the Main Street Hero Award, which goes to community leaders or public figures who made “an outstanding contribution to the local Main Street organization.”

“Mayor Koniar and the city council had a vision for downtown Foley, and a major piece of that puzzle was investing in the Main Street Program,” Helmer said. “Without his leadership and support, Foley Main Street would not exist today. It so impressed the selection committee when Foley brought their group of people that comes to make the presentation in front of the selection committee that your mayor was there too, and actually closed out the presentation with a bang.”

Koniar added his final words during the presentation were, “That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”

During the last nine years, Foley has completed five streetscape projects in the downtown area, including widening sidewalks, adding trellises, adding lampposts with hanging basket capabilities, addressing drainage and sewer issues, and improving several pedestrian crossing areas. During that timeframe, Foley invested $1.6 million into downtown. $315,000 in additional funds have been set aside for further downtown improvements, including the extension of the Antique Rose Trail and updates to Heritage Park.

The second award, Promotions, recognizes “outstanding events or activities that promote the Main Street district by creating a quality, authentic event that generates traffic for the district.” Foley Main Street received the award for Lucky to Love Foley, a cash register ringing event that takes place during February and March. The Promotions Committee, led by Shannon Tierney, handed out flyers for the event throughout downtown and explained the event to the business owners. Through a partnership with the South Baldwin Chamber Foundation, the committee set up a booth at the BBQ & Blues Festival. The winner of the cash ringing event was announced during the festival, and Foley Main Street had an instagramable photo-op set up at their booth and posted photos in real-time, along with the public’s responses to why they love Foley.

The Public Relations Award recognizes a Main Street Organization that has “developed an effective public relations program.”

“Foley was the only public relations award this year,” Helmer said. The award was given for Foley Main Street’s “We Are Ready For You” campaign during the COVID-19 shutdown earlier this year, which showcased two things. “First, it showed how proactive our businesses are and to put faces to downtown Foley, reminding consumers there are people behind the businesses. Secondly, Foley Main Street was able to boost the confidence of the businesses by allowing them to tell in their own words what they are doing to be ready for their customers.”

The campaign began when Foley Main Street Director Darrelyn Dunmore visited businesses in downtown Foley and learned how much they missed their customers, and how they wished they could convey that to them. She received approval from Foley Main Street Board President Chad Watkins and Tierney to purchase a microphone for her phone and one year’s worth of editing software, both in the social media budget, and began filming the business owners. The videos were posted to Foley Main Street’s social media, getting the owners’ messages to the community.

“I just want to reiterate how important Main Street is,” said Dunmore. “When you look around and see what we have, we have a great base to work with, but we have so much to do to make this the best it can possibly be. Everywhere I look I see opportunity.”

To learn more about Foley Main Street, check out www.foleymainstreet.com.