Last night I was awarded a NEXTie award with three other amazing people Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz, Reyna Ruiz and Marina Sousa held at the old Wrigleys Gum Factory…yes they use to make gum in Santa Cruz.

A night at the NEXTies

My wife and I arrived to find the venue artfully decorated and definitely 1st class, there was a bit of comedy when we tried to check in as my name wasn’t on the guest list….thank god they had the party poster nearby with my pic on it…it was a close one as I saw security eyeballing me lol. Once we worked out that issue which was hilarious as I had to have Ryan Coonerty vouch for me and then all was fine. As the sold event filled in and the food rolled out, people started mingling and the party was getting started. Ironically, the first people we spoke with were Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz and Reyna Ruiz (2 of the 3 other award recipients) you could tell the nervous energy was built up as we were excited to be honored and really had no idea what was in store for the evening. Greg Archer and Jeff Dinnell were on fire making sure to get film outtakes with all the nominees and making the event even brighter. Jeffrey Kongslie, MC and man de la extraordinaire with his spiffy bow tie was full of energy and a phenomenal host to all that showed to celebrate the gala in store. After carousing the crowd and eating the fine hor devours it was time to get down to business. I was up first and Ryan Coonerty along with an insane video bio introduced me to the stage and I had my moment to share with the crowd what Grind Out Hunger meant to me through this quote from Alvin Toffler:

“The secret message communicated to most young people today by the society around them is that they are not needed, that the society will run itself quite nicely until they – at some distant point in the future – will take over the reigns. Yet the fact is that the society is not running itself nicely… because the rest of us need all the energy, brains, imagination and talent that young people can bring to bear down on our difficulties. For society to attempt to solve its desperate problems without the full participation of even very young people is imbecile.”

I had the time of my life as my wife and I made it around the capacity crowd talking about Grind Out Hunger and what an inspiration it is to the youth of Santa Cruz County. My friends and colleagues came out in full support of the evening, Willy McCrea, Shane and Eden Gallagher, Paul Gallagher, Gina Renna and Eric Walters, Sean and Valerie Sinnot, Christian Sacoolas and Jen Nelson. I also ran into a few of my Facebook and Twitter friends Dewey Decibel, Mosiac Moon and MRosas who shared the wonderful evening.

Greg Archer, Jeff Dinell my lovely wife Taniya and yours truly DK

Tons of thanks and gratitude go out to Ryan Coonerty for nominating me, Greg Archer for believing in me, Willy McCrea Second Harvest Food Bank for taking a chance on me and Grind Out Hunger, Jeff Dinnell for capturing my essence on video, Jeffrey Kongslie, Timerie Gordon, Santa Cruz Next and its board, Santa Cruz Skate and Surf Shop, all the volunteers that helped setup, my wife Taniya and especially…especially the youth of Santa Cruz County…this award is ours!!!!

Right in the thick of award season, Santa Cruz NEXT is slowing down to appreciate Santa Cruz now, at least insofar as honoring current members who’ve done outstanding work here in the community, with the first annual NEXTies Awards. “We want to emphasize there are people here that are world–renowned, who are making a life here in Santa Cruz and enjoying every minute of it, and having a really positive impact on our community,” says Santa Cruz NEXT member and city councilman Ryan Coonerty, pausing before adding, “and we also hope that it’s going to be the best party of the year.”

He’s expecting plenty of local hotshots dressed to the nines for the ceremony honoring the four chosen winners: Danny Keith of Santa Cruz Skate and Surf Shop, astrophysicist Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz of UCSC, Reyna Ruiz of Beach Flats Community Center and Marina Sousa, owner of Just Cakes in Capitola. “I’m definitely honored,” says Sousa. “I just think everybody else that is getting this award does amazing things, and there’s part of me that feels a little bit silly because I just make cakes.”

Well, she “just makes cakes” for Oprah Winfrey and the Food Network, but Coonerty says Sousa embodies an important aspect of the NEXTies. “She’s a great example of someone who could choose to live anywhere they want, but makes their home here,” he says.

Keith is being feted not just for his professional success, but for his organization Grind Out Hunger, which incentivizes local elementary, middle and high schoolers to participate in Second Harvest food drives. “I think [Santa Cruz has] a good mixture of live and let live, at the same time encouraging entrepreneurship and out-of-the-box ideas,” says Keith, whose efforts helped to raise 116,853 pounds of food during the 2009-2010 holiday food drive. “We’re [also] very aware of our problems, and the way we deal with it is unique. We care about our neighbors in Santa Cruz. Most communities have lost that.”

Packard Fellowship winner Ramirez-Ruiz will take home a NEXTie for his success as a world-renowned astrophysicist as well as a founder of the Lamat (Mayan Star) fellowship, which provides an immersive introduction to the astrophysics program at UCSC for Hartnell Community College students. And finally, Reyna Ruiz, director of the Beach Flats Community Center, will be recognized for raising $130,000 in individual donations and grants for a mind-blowing reversal of the center’s fate after the city declared its budget crisis would shutter it. “Failure was not an option,” she says. “I don’t believe in sheer luck. You make a plan, you surround yourself with the best and the brightest and people that believe in the cause. In this case, it was social justice—the families that are the most vulnerable in the city.”

All four will receive brushed stainless steel awards created by Chris Yonge from Studio Cruz at the former Wrigley Building, which Santa Cruz NEXT spokesperson Peter Koht says will be tricked out with a digital media makeover. “It’s not going to feel like an old gum factory,” he promises.

Here’s to high NEXTpectations.

The First Annual NEXTies take place Saturday, Jan. 23, 7pm at 2801 Mission St., Santa Cruz. Tickets are $35 ($60 for two; $45 at the door) at http://www.NEXTies.Eventbright.com.