For more than 30 years, the Garfield County Humanitarians Awards Dinner has honored residents for their selfless contributions to the community.

The 2026 awards ceremony and dinner were held Monday in the Devereux Ballroom at the Hotel Colorado. Seven community members were nominated for three awards recognizing their dedication to serving others and the place they call home, often for decades.

“This is a great place to live, and it’s all of you that make it that way,” Garfield County Commissioner Tom Jankovsky said while presenting the Heart of Gold Award. “It is incredible what we see in our community. Everyone in this room follows that basic rule, which is to do unto others as you have them do unto you — and you give more than a lot than the others do.”

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Frank McSwain Sr. received the Knows No Stranger Award, Michelle McCurdy received the Art in Service Award and Jack Oulund received the Heart of Gold Award.

“A true humanitarian is someone who makes a difference, not because they have to, but because they want to — because they care,” Garfield County Commissioner Perry Will said while presenting the Knows No Stranger Award.

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The annual event is not a fundraiser for any agency, county or commission. Instead, it recognizes those who “make our community an ever-more vibrant, diverse, caring, sustainable, supportive, and safe place to live, work, and play.”

Frank McSwain Sr.: Knows No Stranger Award

Frank McSwain Sr. didn’t know what he was getting himself into when he followed his children to the Roaring Fork Valley nearly 30 years ago.

Since 1999, McSwain and his wife, Rosie, have watched their lives blossom in the valley. Their family now extends two generations beyond McSwain, but he said they continue to follow the same basic principles of service and community.

“I’m just so honored,” McSwain said after receiving the award Monday night. “It has been a wonderful dream for my wife and I to live in Garfield County for the past 27 years. We have given our hearts and our love and our talents to this community because we love it so much. What a wonderful night; I’m living the dream.”

McSwain spent eight years as executive director of the Valley View Hospital Foundation, where his work helped lead to the creation of the Valley View Callaway-Young Cancer Center.

“He’s been spotted raking his neighbors’ common area solo, dropping off Rosie’s homemade cookies door to door, and turning brand-new neighbors into lifelong friends within minutes of meeting them,” Will said while presenting the award. “Faith, community, and an open door define how this man lives: an everlasting desire to help others.”

Even in his later years, McSwain remains a familiar face at philanthropic events throughout the valley. His service has included work with the Carbondale Rotary Club and Third Street Center, serving meals with LIFT-UP, helping organize support for Carbondale’s Venezuelan immigrant community and checking on elderly neighbors who may otherwise go days without seeing anyone.

“It has just been absolutely wonderful,” McSwain said, reflecting on his time in Garfield County.

Michelle McCurdy: Art in Service Award

Whether inspiring students to reach their creative potential or helping lead a decade-long collaboration among Colorado Mountain College, Grand River Health and Meals on Wheels, Michelle McCurdy has served without expecting recognition.

Even after receiving a standing ovation when her name was called Monday night, McCurdy said the recognition was difficult to take in.

“It feels a little overwhelming,” she said with a teary smile. “I am just so honored.”

McCurdy has taught ceramics at Colorado Mountain College for 30 years, working with accomplished artists while passing decades of knowledge and confidence to the next generation.

“She exemplifies the humanitarian spirit and inspires others to create beautiful, meaningful things, not only in what they produce, but in their acts of service,” Garfield County Commissioner Mike Samson said.

Reading from nomination materials, Samson said one nominator wrote that McCurdy has spent more than 30 years “molding more than just clay,” helping shape Garfield County’s cultural and humanitarian fabric.

“They lead by example and graciously rally others to help support humans in need; an unsung hero,” Samson read.

Another nominator described McCurdy’s work as “something that I have not seen in any other institution around the planet,” Samson said.

McCurdy’s reach extends well beyond the students in her classroom.

“Not only is this person a phenomenal instructor and natural-born leader, but she is also the heart and hands of the Empty Bowls fundraiser with Meals on Wheels, and helps nourish community members in need,” Samson said. “Starting with 137 bowls in its inception in 2016, Empty Bowls now brings in between 500 and 600 bowls annually. She’s blended art and philanthropy to deliver measurable, lasting, and exponential impact. There is beauty in how she lives, in what she contributes in the classroom, and in our community.”

McCurdy credited those she has worked with and the organization that gave her the opportunity to serve.

“Colorado Mountain College has given me the vehicle to do all this,” she told the crowd. “I am so grateful for them and so grateful to all my students, many of whom are here. I don’t feel worthy, really, but I guess so many others think I am; thank you so much.”

Jack Oulund: Heart of Gold Award

Jankovsky described Jack Oulund as a “jack of all trades” while introducing him to the audience.

“This person can do just about anything for you,” Jankovsky said. “Fix your car, fix your trailer, bring you lunch, get you to a doctor’s appointment. He spends countless hours serving the community and being on call for last-minute emergencies.

“He bikes, he hikes, he skis, and he’s also a medical assistant,” Jankovsky continued. “He’s the guy that sets up and takes down the tables; a bus driver, a bell ringer. He shows up early, stays late, and quietly fills in the gaps.”

Oulund said he was shocked to learn he would be recognized Monday night.

“I never could have expected that,” he said. “I was emotional. I teared up to think that I’d be received the way I was.”

Heather Olson of the River Center of New Castle described Oulund’s impact on the community in her nomination letter.

“His steady presence, kindness, and reliability made him a cornerstone of New Castle’s senior luncheon program and 400 hours with the Meals on Wheels program,” Olson wrote. “Being a proud owner of a 500-meal jacket, all of those participating feel valued, supported, and connected.”

Oulund has been a member of the New Castle Lions Club for 10 years, where he regularly steps in wherever help is needed.

“He consistently steps forward and contributes countless hours of service projects that strengthen the fabric of our town,” Olson wrote.

Oulund serves as director of the Lions Club’s Eyesight Assistance Program, helping people obtain eye exams, glasses and medical care. He is also a regular volunteer for the Salvation Army’s bell-ringing fundraiser and is known for greeting visitors with a smile and conversation.

“Apart from God, I can do nothing,” Oulund said.

“Never seeking recognition, always seeking to help,” Olson wrote. “It is not only the breadth of his service but the heart behind it.”

KMTS General Manager Gabe Chenoweth summed up why the event continues to recognize those who dedicate themselves to helping others.

“You don’t volunteer because you’re going to get recognition,” Chenoweth said. “When you do, it makes it that much sweeter.”