In 2007, HAPPEN held its first "I Make it HAPPEN" Caregiver of the Year Award ceremony. Since then, the association has honored more than 250 caregivers throughout the Treasure Valley and has awarded over 50 educational scholarships. Each year's finalists are honored at a luncheon and recognized for their excellence in healthcare.

This award was conceived to recognize those individuals who provide outstanding care to those in need. These individuals go above and beyond their normal job descriptions to provide professional, caring services that enhace the quality of their clients'/patients' lives. Their work is often difficult and thankless, and this award is a way to show them that their efforts are both noticed and appreciated!

Caregivers are nominated by their companies, clients, and others in the community, and are judged in five categories:

1) Heart - Passion for the job and going the extra mile.

2) Dependability - Attendance and reliability.

3) Appearance - Professional and appropriate.

4) Accountability - Ethics and honesty.

5) Longevity - At least one year of service with their current employer.

The Caregiver of the Year Award is given to one Certified Nursing Assistant and one Personal Care Attendant chosen from local hospitals, long-term care facilities, home care, and home health and hospice agencies throughout the Treasure Valley area.

Thanks to generous donations by our HAPPEN member companies and community, since 2011 HAPPEN has also been able to offer a life-changing scholarship to one of our finalist caregiver nominees. This educational scholarship can be used at any educational institution of the winner's choice.

Read below to find out about last year's awards, and find out how you can nominate someone for the upcoming CGOY event!

The 2017 Awards are gearing up! Our theme this year, "Angels Among Us," reflects just how important these amazing caregivers are in the lives of those around them.

The most important thing you can do right now is nominate a deserving caregiver! Nomination forms are available HERE.

2016 was a magical year for the "I Make it HAPPEN!" Caregiver of the Year Awards! Held in the McCleary Auditorium at St. Alphonsus on May 12, we were "Celebrating the Magic of our Caregivers" in the Treasure Valley.

As the crowd arrived, the nominees were treated to professional portraits as well as a "selfie booth" to capture some slightly more candid moments. Attendees also perused the many goodie baskets up for silent auction including movie nights, concert tickets, and barbeque gear. A fantastic lunch was served by St. Alphonsus as everyone took their seats and the event got underway.

Natalie Hurst of KBOI 2 News returned to emcee the awards for the second year in a row. After sharing a few personal experiences that she has had with caregivers and members of her family, she introduced our finalists to a crowd of 250 caregivers, dignitaries, health care professionals, friends, and family. As they were announced, they gathered at the front of the stage to receive their official finalist certificate, a $100 cash prize, and a special declaration by the governor.

Of course, there can be only one winner in each category for "Caregiver of the Year," and for the personal care attendants, that person was Brian Sturr. Brian has been in the business for over 20 years, and his co-workers called him the "consummate southern gentleman." Stories were shared about Brian's night shift activities, earning him the nickname "night elf" by some of his clients. He's been known to fold clothes, do dishes, and even bake during his shift so his clients will wake up to some tasty treats (not to mention some pretty great smells)! His co-workers go on to say "if you are looking for someone that brings brilliance and magic to everyone he touches... that is Brian."

On the CNA side of things, 2016's big winner was Carl Appel. Of Carl, his co-workers say "he works with some of our toughest clients. One was a 97-year-old elderly woman that could be quite a handful. He could get her to do things no one else could such as bathing." They also told of a story about one instance with Carl and his client at a grocery store when his client decided to send the employees on her version of a "treasure hunt" for some of the "toughest and most random items in the store." They say of the "event" that "all participants had a ball... and a lot of laughs. That is just one instance of him going above and beyond for his clients."

Each of the winners received a trophy and a $1000 cash prize.

In a bit of a departure from the norm, a change in the way the scholarship will be awarded was announced. Instead of limiting the award to finalists, now all employees in the field of healthcare are eligible for nomination. The award was pushed back to allow companies to nominate deserving candidates.

As always, the HAPPEN and Caregiver of the Year teams were amazed by the personal stories and testimonials that we read for each and every nominee. Deciding on a winner for each category is an incredibly difficult task, as every finalist truly deserves to be called "Caregiver of the Year." Congratulations to Brian, Carl, and all of our incredible finalists for their recognition, and for dedicating their lives to helping others. You truly "Make it HAPPEN!"