Nominations taken for Peacemaker of the Year

Nominations are being sought for an individual or organization to be named Flathead Valley’s “Peacemaker of the Year.”

A peace quilt is awarded each year as a “traveling trophy” at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day event Jan. 17 in Kalispell. Anyone may make a nomination of an individual or organization promoting the values of peacemaking and community building in the Flathead Valley. The Peacemaker of the Year award is chosen annually by a joint committee of Love Lives Here board members and representatives of the Mountain View Mennonite Church.

“The Peace Quilt award has been created so that individuals and organizations who have the courage and perseverance to work toward a more civil, peaceful, healing and harmonious community might be honored, and so that the discussion about the importance of peacemaking is elevated in our community discussions,” said Allan McGarvey, a congregation member of Mountain View Mennonite Church. “We are seeking nominations of individuals or organizations who work non-violently for change, bring people together to resolve differences, promote social justice and healing, and/or work toward the building of relationship and community in our valley.”

This will be the fourth year that the award is given. The first recipient was the Abbie Shelter, In 2015 the Peace Quilt was awarded to the Center for Restorative Youth Justice, and in 2016 it was awarded to BJ and Milt Carlson.

Nominations will be accepted until Jan. 9 may be downloaded from Mountain View’s website at http://mountainviewmc.squarespace.com or on the Facebook page, “Love Lives Here in the Flathead Valley.”