New Albin Improvement League honored with Iowa Governor’s Volunteer Award ...

New Albin Improvement League (NAIL), a volunteer group dedicated to making the community of New Albin the best that it can be, was honored earlier this summer with a Governor’s Volunteer Service Group Award for outstanding commitment and service. An Iowa Governor’s Award Ceremony was held at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls May 31. However, no members of NAIL were able to attend that Tuesday afternoon ceremony to receive the group’s award in person.

New Albin Improvement League was nominated for the award by New Albin City Clerk Deb Stantic. In her nomination application, Stantic wrote: “The group has hosted fundraisers which improved the Army Road Park, they fundraise for the schools and the food bank, and last year they fundraised money and built a new splash pad, basketball court and ADA playground for the community and surrounding communities. The ‘hearts of gold’ of the members have improved our charming community vastly.”

In her invitation to the ceremony, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds wrote: “We are pleased to honor those who have given the precious gift of their time to meet essential needs all across Iowa. Thank you for your dedication and for contributing your talent to enrich this state.”

Pictured above are New Albin City Clerk Deb Stantic and Betsy Whitlatch of New Albin Improvement League with the award certificate mailed to the group. Pictured below are just some of the members of the New Albin Improvement League standing near the group’s most major recent undertaking of the new splash pad and playground in New Albin. NAIL members present in the photo noted that there are many members of the group who contributed significantly to the splash pad project but who were not available for the photo. Submitted photos.