Nearly 300 neighbors came together to lift each other up at the 2026 Celebrate Awards. The United Way event shines a spotlight on the vital, innovative, and sometimes invisible work being accomplished by Chattanooga’s nonprofit sector, officials said.

Every year, the Celebrate Awards brings together corporate, nonprofit, volunteer, and community leaders to honor the people and organizations strengthening Chattanooga. Beginning in 2021, this event has been an annual reminder to pause and celebrate, uplifting the hard work that brings stability to our neighbors and binds our community together. The 2026 event continued that tradition, drawing its largest crowd to date at Erlanger Park, it was stated.

“We believe our community is strongest when every person is seen, valued, and connected. When one part of our community thrives, we all thrive,” said Stacey Johnson, president and CEO of La Paz Chattanooga, during her acceptance speech.

Melissa Blevins, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, said, “Everybody wins in our community when we come together and collaborate.” This spirit of teamwork reflects United Way’s role in convening partners across the community to drive connection and collective impact, officials said.

From a pool of more than 140 nominations, award finalists were selected across five competitive categories. The 2026 award winners are:

• Nonprofit Organization of the Year: Chattanooga Area Food Bank
• Rising Star: Special Kids Chattanooga
• Nonprofit Leader of the Year: Toccora Johnson-Petersen (CEO of Girls Inc. Of Chattanooga)
• Live United, Not Divided: La Paz Chattanooga
• Volunteer of the Year: Milli Yium

The Celebrate Awards were made possible by the generous support of local sponsors: McKenzie Foundation, First Horizon Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, Shaw Industries, Trust Company of Tennessee, Pinnacle Financial Partners, and Athens Distributing.