Celebrate Clay was created in 2009 by The Paul E. & Klare N. Reinhold Foundation, Inc. to recognize, reward, and encourage community service within Clay County. Annual cash awards are presented to nonprofit groups providing outstanding services, as selected by a panel of judges who vote the best for that year. Since 2009, the Reinhold Foundation has awarded $1,265,000 to more than 100 nonprofit organizations at its annual “Celebrate Clay” community service awards breakfast.
Mission of the Dirt Road earned the Paul E. Reinhold Community Service Award of the year in 2024. Click below for the full list of 2024 recipients and the lists of past years' award recipients.
A panel of five judges including three volunteers from the community and two representatives on behalf of the Reinhold Foundation voted on the best projects and volunteers of 2023 to determine the winners of the $100,000 in cash awards presented at the 2024 Celebrate Clay Awards Breakfast. This year’s judges were: Hon. Timothy R. Collins, (Ret.), Clay County Court Judge; Ms. Catrine Fredrikson, President & Founder, EZY Marketing; Mr. Jeff Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital; and Mr. Peter Hutchen and Rev. Neely P. Towe, Reinhold Family Members.
(Photo: 2024 Celebrate Clay Judges, left to right: Catrine Fredrikson, Neely Towe, Jeff Taylor, Peter Hutchen, and Tim Collins)
To be eligible to apply, organizations must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and not a "private foundation” under Section 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. Every 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the First Coast area, regardless of size, is eligible, as long as the project submitted actively supports citizens of Clay County and the sponsoring organization validates its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status (including proof that it is not a "private foundation” under Section 509(a) of the IRC). Applications that do not contain proof of the organization’s 501(c)(3) status will not be accepted.
Applications for the 2025 Celebrate Clay Awards will be available December 2024.
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
(904) 269-5857, Ext. 404
