Quaboag Hills Chamber Seeks Nominations for Community Hero, Educator of the Year
PALMER — The Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce, the area nonprofit that promotes business, development, and tourism in Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester counties, is seeking nominations for its 2026 Choice Awards in the categories of Community Hero and Educator of the Year.
Nominations can be submitted on the Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce official website, qhma.com, through Feb. 13. Online voting for this year’s finalists will be open to the public and conducted from Feb. 15 through March 15, also at qhma.com.
Finalist voting will also include a number of chamber member-specific categories honoring local nonprofits, manufacturing, and service businesses. All finalists will be honored and the announced at the Choice Awards Dinner on Wednesday, May 6 at Steaming Tender Restaurant, located at the former historic Palmer Railroad Station site.
“The annual Choice Awards is one of the most distinguished programs the chamber conducts. It is an honor each year to celebrate a new class of extraordinary individuals who make our region so special,” said James Przypek, CEO of the Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce. “Last year, we received more than 22,000 finalist votes, which is a testament to how deeply our communities appreciate those who make a difference in our lives every day.”
Community Hero of the Year is an individual (citizen, resident, veteran, or first responder) who has gone above and beyond via a single outstanding act within the last 12 months, or a series of contributions over an extended period for the betterment of their community. The individual must reside or have performed their act or work within the Quaboag Hills’ 15 member communities.
Educator of the Year is an individual who has positively impacted the school (public, regional, private, or independent) and the students for which they work. The individual must reside, or the school for which they work must be located, within the Quaboag Hills’ 15 member communities.
