2025 SERVE Celebration Award Recipients

Celebrating Our 2025 SERVE Celebration Awards

On January 9th, we celebrated community together. We recognize phenomenal neighbors and partners who deeply believe in connection, collaboration, and investing in the community we love.

Meet Our Award Winners

FUN Fest Award: Jordan & Palestine Booths – Rayan Tayeh

The FUN Fest Award is presented to those whose efforts help build bridges, recognizing individuals who understand that community doesn’t grow only through meetings and plans, but also through laughter, music, shared food, and moments that make people feel seen and welcomed.

FUN Fest is about creating space where neighbors meet neighbors, sometimes for the very first time, and leave feeling like they belong. It’s about recognizing the transformative power of fun: the kind that turns ordinary moments into extraordinary memories and strengthens the fabric of Noblesville.

SERVE Village partnered with the Noblesville Mayor’s Youth Council for the event, and the energy, excitement, and enthusiasm these young leaders brought to FUN Fest elevated the entire experience. Together, we welcomed over 30 booths and more than 500 community members, creating an event that was colorful, vibrant, and full of life.

Rayan understood that building community can be creative, joyful, and inclusive. Over the last 2 years, he and his friends have shown up with enthusiasm, inviting others in without hesitation. They loved sharing their passion for their home countries. Wanting to share the history, traditions, food, and story was contagious. They were true memory makers for the event. 

Come Together Award: Sandy Lynch with the Conner Street Block Party

Sandy embodied that spirit through the Conner Street Block Party during Come Together Week, an experience rooted in fun, hospitality, and togetherness. It brought the community together in a truly multigenerational way, creating space for kids, parents, longtime residents, and new neighbors to connect, celebrate, and belong.

Through creativity, collaboration, and an open invitation to all, this effort strengthened the fabric of Noblesville and reminded us that sometimes the most powerful community-building happens when we simply create room for people to come together.

Best Volunteer Group Award to The Larson Family, aka Larson Inc. 

The Best Volunteer Group Award recognizes a team that embodies unwavering commitment, compassion, and selflessness. It honors outstanding teamwork, leadership, and dedication to SERVE projects, those who show up with heart, energy, and care, leaving a lasting mark on our community.

The Larson Family took their love of community, having fun, and connecting with others when they show up. This group has been involved with SERVE for 12 years. We always love their energy and the commitment to not only SERVE Village and its mission, but more importantly, to our community and the people within it. 

Sweat Equity Award: Kathy & Deb Talbert 

The Sweat Equity Award honors individuals or groups who exemplify hard work, dedication, and hands-on commitment to community betterment. It recognizes those who invest their time, energy, and physical labor to create tangible, lasting impact, living proof that true change often comes from rolling up your sleeves and getting to work.

Kathy and Deb have created a longstanding SERVE Week tradition by leading our Community Giveaway from its inception, connecting neighbors in need with resources generously donated by our community. From driving box trucks to transforming gymnasiums into shoppers’ paradises, they show up with their head, heart, and hands, making every moment a meaningful experience for those they serve.

Kathy and Deb not only brought the vision for this project but also rallied volunteers, secured resources, and led with passion every step of the way. Their leadership and tireless dedication have left a lasting mark on our community, and we are so grateful for their service.

Mr. Roger’s Award: Ann Lemna

The Mr. Rogers Award is named for Fred Rogers and his enduring belief that kindness is a powerful force. This award honors individuals or families who lead with compassion, meet people where they are, and treat every neighbor with dignity and care. Their impact may not always be loud, but it is lasting. Their presence creates safety. Their actions foster belonging. They remind us that the simplest acts of kindness can ripple far beyond what we can see.

Ann exemplifies that partnership in every sense of the word. She brings a genuine heart for service, a deep love for community, and a “yes, we can” attitude to everything she does with gentleness and grace. Over the past year, she has stepped confidently into SERVE Village’s evolving model of leadership, embracing our strategic plan by taking on increased committee responsibilities and playing larger, more visible roles during SERVE Week.

Her willingness to lead, learn, and lean in has strengthened SERVE Village and inspired those around her.

Top Notch Award: Tim & Heather Ingles for their Boots, Bourbon, and Brickyard fundraiser 

The Top Notch Award is presented to a community partner whose leadership and generosity have played a pivotal role in empowering SERVE Village to fulfill its mission of asset-based community development. This award honors those who help connect neighbors through outreach, strengthen community initiatives, and preserve the local assets that make our community thrive. It is both a symbol of gratitude and a recognition of partnership because SERVE’s impact is only possible when others choose to stand alongside us.

Tim & Heather took their love for Indiana, racing, bourbon, and community, and turned it into action. Through their Boots, Bourbon, and Brickyard fundraiser, they opened their event to friends, family, and neighbors to raise over $13,000 in support of SERVE Village. They didn’t just host an event; they created an experience that brought people together, shared their passions, and turned fun into meaningful impact with many people who had never heard of SERVE Village and our work.

2025 Board Member of the Year: Karen Walker

Board service is one of the most personal forms of leadership there is. It’s a choice to give your time, your talent, and your treasure to something bigger than yourself, often without applause, often behind the scenes, and often in moments when it would be easier to step back than to lean in.

Board service means saying yes even when the vision is still a little foggy. It means trusting the mission enough to keep showing up before the outcome is guaranteed. It’s raising your hand when there’s more work than people, and believing deeply that your presence can help steady the ship.

Our board members carry responsibility that few people see. They ask the hard questions, wrestle with the tough decisions, and help turn bold ideas into thoughtful action. They make sure that what the community experiences feels seamless, even when the work behind it is anything but. They model leadership for our volunteers and our partners by showing what commitment looks like when no one is watching.

This award honors someone who has embodied that kind of leadership. From the moment Karen got engaged with us, she has taken ownership of the volunteer program to help ensure that it had the vision and oversight that was needed. She has shown up behind the scenes time and time again. Never needing attention or recognition, but simply serving to help make it easier for others to serve their neighbor. She brought laughter and a “can-do spirit” of “we got this!” which makes those around her want to do what they can to ensure that it becomes true. She is someone who is not just a board member but is also a friend!  

Thank you to all of our neighbors and partners for an amazing 2025! Your Collaboration helped create a Collective Impact as your Compassion created an atmosphere for Connection that we want to continue to Celebrate together.