Garden City, Kan (WesternKansasNews.Com) –

The Crystal Apple Committee of the Garden City Area Chamber of Commerce has announced semi-finalists for this year’s Crystal Apple Teacher Recognition program. This is the 27th year of the program honoring the finest educators in Finney County.

The Crystal Apple Committee is made up of representatives from the business community who look to honor outstanding teachers for their exceptional efforts in education. This year the Chamber received 165 teacher nominations from Finney County.

The 2022 semi-finalists are: Jose Alfredo Anaya Alarcon, Horace Good Middle School; Jennifer Barrett, Holcomb High School; Brianna Boller, Holcomb High School; Buffi Brimm, Charles Stones Intermediate Center; Jay Edwards, GC Achieve; Isabel Elchuck, Kenneth Henderson Middle School; Brandon Fisher, Garden City High School; Amy Harris, Kenneth Henderson Middle School; Ericka Hoff, Kenneth Henderson Middle School; Neil Lundgren, Victor Ornelas Elementary School; Brian Nelson, Garden City High School; and Amber Potts, Horace Good Middle School.

In September, the Crystal Apple Committee will narrow the 12 semi-finalists down to six finalists in the following individual teacher interviews. The six finalists will then be observed by three additional Crystal Apple committee members in their classroom at times unknown to each of the six teachers.

The top three of the six finalists will be named as the 2022 Crystal Apple Teachers of Finney County at a banquet beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 17, 2022 at the Clarion Inn, 1911 East Kansas Avenue and will receive an engraved crystal apple, $1,000 cash award, and an iPad courtesy of COX Communications. The three finalists will be presented with a cash award of $250.

Community members, family, and friends are invited to attend the awards banquet, especially past Crystal Apple Award recipients. Tickets to the event will be available for sale beginning October 3rd and are $25 each. Tickets may be purchased at the Chamber office, 1509 E. Fulton Terrace in-person or by calling (620) 276-3264, and online at www.gckschamber.com

The Crystal Apple Program is supported by community members and businesses throughout Finney County. This years’ sponsors are: Presenting Sponsor – Bors Law, P.A.; Media Sponsor – COX Communications; Platinum Sponsor – Reeve Cattle Company; Gold Sponsors – Commerce Bank, Fry Eye Associates, Inc., Hutton Corporation, and Scooters Coffee; Crystal Sponsors – Garden City Public Schools Foundation, Garden City Community College, Lewis Hooper and Dick, LLC, and Southwest Kansas Office Leasing; Friend of Education Sponsor – Scheopner’s Water Conditioning; 2022 Chairman’s Circle Members – City of Garden City, Commerce Bank, Dairy Farmers of America, and Golden Plains Credit Union.