Chenoweth Awards Return Saturday to Honor Trinidad Civic Leaders

An award named for a Trinidad native who served eleven consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives returns Saturday, when the Chenoweth Award ceremony comes back to downtown after a multi-year hiatus.

The event runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Space to Create in downtown Trinidad. The Trinidad Community Foundation and the Las Animas County Chamber of Commerce (TLACC) jointly revived the award and managed the nomination process, which opened in February.

First established in 1979 by the Trinidad & Las Animas County Chamber of Commerce, the award carries the name of Judge and Congressman John Edgar Chenoweth (1897-1986). Beyond his eleven terms in the House, Chenoweth also served as a Las Animas County judge and assistant district attorney, building a record of public service that stretched from local courtrooms to the floor of Congress. The award seeks to recognize individuals whose civic work reflects that same commitment to community.

The ceremony's timing adds another layer of significance. Trinidad is marking its 150th year with an ongoing sesquicentennial observance, and organizers are counting on the Chenoweth event to reinforce the downtown corridor's profile. Space to Create, the venue hosting Saturday's gathering, sits at the center of Trinidad's expanding arts and culture presence.

Historically, the award has gone to volunteers, nonprofit leaders, school advocates, and public servants whose daily contributions sustain local institutions quietly and without fanfare. In a county the size of Las Animas, that kind of public spotlight carries practical weight: visible recognition can draw new recruits to underfunded programs and renew philanthropic interest where it is needed most.

Anyone with questions can contact organizers at (719) 846-9285 or TrinidadChenowethAward@gmail.com.