The month of April is a great time of the year, and in Holbrook it has a little more to offer thanks to Happy Holbrook. “Happy Holbrook is a month-long recognition celebrating the good going on in our city, and especially the good people of Holbrook,” stated Kathleen Smith, the founder and host of the event through the Holbrook Foundation.
Happy Holbrook celebrates those who uplift the community in day-to-day life. “So many people sacrifice their time to help others that this is a great time to pause and acknowledge those people that go the extra mile, many without any recognition. The coaches, neighbors helping neighbors, strangers helping those in need, and the countless more acts of service that are rendered anonymously, this is our month to celebrate these wonderful people.”
Every day throughout the month, Happy Holbrook highlights a community member on social media with a summary of their efforts and positive attributes. “All of our Happy Holbrook spotlights have come from other members in our community, nominating those people they feel have contributed to making Holbrook a little happier,” said Smith.
The previous year the Holbrook Foundation sent out a questionnaire to get to know what Smith called “Happy Nominees,” but this year has had an even greater response of supporters sending in little stories and reasons of why some should be highlighted.
“Most people nominated are just quietly and humbly giving of their time and talents to this community and I love that others are taking notice and want to recognize them for their efforts. We have received so many nominations already we may need to go into May and I think that is fantastic.”
So what sparked this interest to create Happy Holbrook? “When I first started working for the City of Holbrook nine years ago, anytime someone said ‘Happy Holbrook’ they did it almost sarcastically, and I wanted to do my part in helping change that attitude. Happy Holbrook came about from the desire to remember what makes us Happy Holbrook, and it always comes back to the people of Holbrook.”
She explained that the first few years the organization had the “Happiest Person in Holbrook” nominations. “Our first winner was Alan Grace and his wife Marlene was an honorable mention as the two go together, two citizens of Holbrook that have set an example of what Happy Holbrook is all about.”
Happy Holbrook has been a little ray of sunshine that citizens and businesses alike have supported, even through the pandemic. “We have adapted with changes, but through it all the people of Holbrook have been the focus. We understand that in this ever-changing world there is so much stress and negativity in the world, but we also understand that when you know someone you are going to treat them better, so let’s make sure we know each other, know our neighbors and fellow Holbrook citizens. I love that through these nominations we get a little glimpse into their lives and I gain a better appreciation for them and their efforts. I hope Happy Holbrook never goes away, and that we find ourselves smiling when we say ‘Welcome to Happy Holbrook’.”
As of April 10, Happy Holbrook has celebrated the works of Michael O’Dell, Joni Gillespie, Christine Nilsson, Yvonne Maestas Larson, Nick Salazar, JW O’Dell, Tyreta Brown, Lisa Salazar and Tyrell Sulu.
