2024 Spirit of Downtown Winners
Nominations are now open for the 2024 Spirit of Downtown Awards! Established by the Downtown Long Beach Alliance (DTLB Alliance) in 2012, these annual awards recognize those who have significantly influenced and shaped the Downtown community. Going through a list of past winners reveals common traits: a can-do spirit, positivity, and boundless energy, among others. Meet three past Spirit of Downtown Award winners who have infused their efforts with these qualities. Getting to know them might inspire you to nominate someone you know who embodies the Spirit of Downtown!
EVELYN AVILA, Class of ‘24 Recipient
Evelyn Avila Community builder & founder of Long Beach Walking Club
What started as Avila’s simple idea — to create the Long Beach Walking Club, a welcoming space for women to walk together — has grown into something that affirms the importance of building community through movement and connection. Winning The Spirit of Downtown Award for 2023 was a huge honor for her. “That award isn’t just for me, it’s for every member who has laced up their shoes, shown up, and contributed to making Downtown Long Beach a more active, inclusive, and supportive place,” she said.
Avila stressed the importance of recognizing community-driven efforts that bring people together, foster a sense of belonging, and make Downtown a more vibrant and connected place.
“Acknowledging these contributions not only honors the work already being done, but also inspires others to get involved,” she said. “Positive growth happens when individuals take action, and by celebrating these efforts, we encourage even more people to step up and make a difference.”
Learn about and connect with the Long Beach Walking Club here!
JOSIE RACHED, Class of ‘19 Recipient
Josie Rached Co-owner of B Room Barber Shop
Rached won the Spirit of Downtown Award in 2018, four years after moving to Long Beach and opening the B Room Barber Shop with her mother and brother. “After we opened our business, connecting with the Downtown community was very organic,” she recalled. “We were so welcomed. It made us want to give back and better our community.”
Isa Rached, Josie’s late brother, came up with a bold and flashy concept: “It’s a Drag to Give,” a nonprofit fundraiser featuring community members who have never done drag before. The show came back last year after a pandemic break, and one of the stars was DTLB Alliance CEO Austin Metoyer. “He was amazing! Austin is a great performer,” noted Rached.
The late Isa Rached as Areola Grande performing at the 10th Year Anniversary of It’s A Drag To Give
She went on to say that “my Mom, Isa, and I felt the love from the Downtown community from the very beginning. I hope ‘It’s a Drag to Give’ will be a torch we can pass to new people in Downtown. Hopefully, within Downtown’s growth there will be an increase in the ‘giving back’ spirit and an even stronger sense of community.”
SHEILA GIBBONS, Class of ‘21 Recipient
Sheila Gibbons and her husband Alan Giomi
2021 Spirit of Downtown Award winner Gibbons, a retired nurse, was recognized for work she and her husband and Chef/Teacher Alan Giomi accomplished with their creation, the Willmore Baking Company. They operated out of the kitchen at Cesar Chavez Park. They were able to teach classes there after securing a grant from the Long Beach Community Foundation to do a complete kitchen upgrade.
“We recruited people who were under-employed, or not employed,” Gibbons explained. “Many of them were homeless. My husband Alan, who has 50 years experience as a professional baker, taught a professional baking class. We helped with resumes, schooled people in how to present themselves, and helped them find contacts. Seventy-five percent of our clients got jobs after attending our program of classes.”
Nowadays, Gibbons and Giomi, who live on the edge of Willmore City, love to take walks in Downtown several times a week. The couple also takes care of Willmore City’s pride and joy, the Bembridge House, trying to get it activated in a more community-minded way. They’re pleased that lots of young influencers have taken a keen interest in the Victorian treasures found at the house.
“As I tell the seniors working here, ‘We won’t be here forever,'” said Gibbons. “We’ll have to turn this over to someone else who can be the steward of this amazing history.”
If this article has moved you to nominate someone for a Spirit of Downtown Award, please do so! The nomination deadline is Sunday, March 16. Click here to submit your nomination.