On Sunday, April 14, the annual rendition of the Welly Awards took place at the UND Wellness Center. All Wellness Center staff members were present at the event where Qdoba was served and yard games were played.  

The Welly Awards is an event which celebrates the employees that help support the day-to-day operations within the Wellness Center, ranging from facility managers, physical trainers, and RecSports officials. More than three differing awards were distributed Sunday afternoon each embodying the core values of the Wellness Center’s mission. Their mission fosters a multi-dimensional culture that promotes wellness within the UND community.   

The first award that was distributed was the Newcomer of the Year Award. This award is designated for a first-year student employee that has distinguished themselves through their dedication towards work exhibiting high levels of responsibility, integrity and respect. This year’s nominees included Anna Hansen, Donovan Sebok, Drew Schmit, Katarina Lutjen, Mattea Steeke and Micah Bruggeman. This year’s winner was first-year Fitness Service Associate Katarina Lutjen.  

The second award that was presented during the event was The Greg Hoffarth Daymaker Award that is presented towards an employee that exhibits a positive attitude within the workplace and consistently brightens the mood of those around them. This award is in honor of Greg Hoffarth, a lead Building Service Technician for the Wellness Center who passed away in 2008. Hoffarth had a way of spreading positive vibes to those around him and always went out of his way to start conversation and check in. The winner of this year’s Greg Hoffarth Daymaker Award embodies his spirit and consistently has these ‘daymaker’ moments. This year’s nominees included Donovan Sebok, Drew Schmit, Karter Witte, Kevin Bowe, Kylie Schroeder, Mattea Steeke, Payton Krumm and Tessa Phillips.  Member Service Associate, Drew Schmit, was this year’s winner and was recognized by his peers for his positive attitude.   

The final award given out Sunday afternoon was the Wellness and Health Promotion Employee of the Year Award. This award is distributed to an individual who exhibits exceptional qualities and consistently puts their best foot forward within the work environment going beyond what it expected from them. This year’s finalists included Charlie Rohlf, Drew Schmit, Hayden Bavis, Karter Witte, Kevin Bowe, Kylie Schroeder and Tessa Phillips. Despite an incredibly strong list of candidates, Hayden Bavis, Member Service Program Manager, stood out as the recipient of this year’s Employee of the Year Award.   

The last recognition that was given out was the 2024 UND Student Employee of the Year Award, where the Wellness Center was lucky enough to have one of their own employees be selected as the winner of the award. This is the most prestigious award that a student employee can win at UND and is designated for an employee that exemplifies leadership characteristics. Kevin Bowe, the current RecSports Program Manager, was chosen for the award. IRegarding how winning the award impacted Kevin, he stated that “winning the award means a lot to me; I started working in RecSports my freshman year and never thought I would be anything more than just an official. However, I have been offered several opportunities through my time working at the wellness center and am grateful for the position I am currently in where I can work with different people and play a part in their success developing in a professional setting.”  Continuing, he is grateful for everyone who played a part in nominating him for the award and that he strives to “continue working and being around sports while positively impacting those around him.”    

Events like this year’s Welly Awards play an invaluable role in acknowledging and celebrating the arduous work of all the individuals that help make one of the many services that we enjoy at UND possible. Congratulations to all recipients of an award this year, and hopefully this upcoming year new leaders within our community will rise and positively impact those around them.   

Daniel Silva is a Dakota Student General Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].