Appalachian Festival Heritage Award Nomination Criteria

Nominee’s currently or formerly a participant in the Appalachian Festival and has been associated with the Festival for a number of years. Respects and values the Appalachian Culture and Traditions. Promotes or promoted the Festival and contributed to it’s continued success.

And, is committed to the overall promotion of pride of the Appalachian Culture. The Heritage Award is presented to individuals that have strived by their artistic, musical and/or volunteered talents to promote and contribute to the success of the Appalachian Festival. The Award recognizes those who have worked long and hard at their Appalachian-based talents and shared them with the Festival for a number of years.

Previous recipients are not eligible for nomination.

Heritage Award Winners

Gary Miner
Debbie Miner
Kyle Meadows
Carey Brewer
Ron Johnson
Don Weber
Marlene Boegli
Rick Elliott
Ron the Electrician
Grandma Buzz
Jesse Banks
Danny Bayes
Kevin Beard
Bill & Joanne Bell
Elmer Bird
Tommy Bledsoe
Marlene Boegli
Rusty Boyd
Carey Brewer
Ramona Buckalew
Ralph Burnes
Connie Carlton
Irene Cheek
Barb Childers
Russ Childers
Sharon Civitello
Don Corathers
Walter Craft
Kenneth Curd
Martha Danforth
James A. Doepker & Associates
Rev. Don Drewry
Darlene Eckstein
Paula Elder
Lee Elliott
Rick Elliott
Don Eyer
Paulene Eyer
Taylor Farley, Jr.
Clifford Fath
Wayne & Helen Fries
Dorothy Gates (In Memory)
Granville Griffith
James Harmon
Ron “the Electrician” Harris
Miriam Hawkins
Liz Herald
Denver Hinkston
Stephen Hollen
Gordon Jackson
Ron Johnson
Joe Jones “Mr. Spoons”
Katie Laur
Ernie Kelley
Robin Kelley
Carl King
Rich Kirby
Jerry Kramer
Homer Ledford
Pat Maley
Michael Maloney
John McCutcheon
Martha McLeod
Kyle Meadows
Debbie Minor
Gary Minor
Mr. & Mrs. Roscoe Morgan
Sandra Moss
Gracie Muldoon
Tom Murphy
Mick Noll
Paula Norton
Larry Oestreich
Ohio Valley Basket Weavers Guild
Dorothy “Tammy” Osborne
Dave Pinson
Barbara Poe
Quilt Outreach
Oliver Raisor
B. Terry Ratliff
Robin Reed
Shanon Rice
Jeff Roberts
Adam Rosselot
Doug Sandhage
Linda Schroeder
Dave Singleton
Greg Smith
David Sparks, Sr.
Florence “Flo” Sparks
Charlene Stipp
Donna Cooper Strother
Maureen Sullivan
Bob Taylor
Cynthia Taylor
Don Thomas
Wilma Walker
Don Weber
Dave Whitacre
Rita “Grandma Buzz” Whittington
Kim Wilson
Tim Wilson
Sherman Wooten
Aaron Yakim

2009 Ernie Mynatt Award

Presented to Russ Childers

Ernie Mynatt “Papa” came to Cincinnati in 1959, as a detached worker out of Berea, KY – funded by the Faber Foundation Appalachian Fund. His task was simple - to see what was happening to those who were for one reason or another forced to leave the Appalachian Region to find employment and a better way of life. His task was to find out what was happening to them, how they were surviving and how where they getting along. He ended up staying for a lifetime…

By the early 1960's, the Catholic Church sponsored “Papa’s” work and opened a storefront center on Main Street in Over the Rhine. During this period of “Papa’s” work, he worked with over 300 youth that were attached to him officially and unofficially by the Juvenile court. Judge Swartz used him to unofficially meet the needs of many youth in and around the greater Cincinnati area. In 1968, “Papa” worked with Michael Maloney and many others to form the United Appalachians of Cincinnati. Maloney served as first Executive Director for the U.A.C., eventually “passing the torch” on to current Director, Maureen R. Sullivan.

“Papa” would walk the streets of Cincinnati introducing himself to many people and developing close relationships with the youth of the inner city. He also worked closely with people of the community and some of the leaders of the city, like Stuart Faber, Louise Spiegel and Mike Maloney. He helped establish a number of working committees that addressed the urban Appalachians’ needs and concerns along with recognition of Appalachians in the inner city. One of these committees brought together residents of Over the Rhine, the City of Cincinnati and a few ladies from the Junior League, who began planning and organizing what started the tradition in Cincinnati that celebrates to this day our Appalachian Culture - the Appalachian Festival.
“Papa” opened the first center for Appalachians (the Appalachian Identity Center) in 1970 in the former Walnut Street Bar’s building, on Walnut Street in Over The Rhine. The center itself took on the appearance of a teen center, but served as a place for community residents to work on concerns and issues facing the Appalachian Community and as office space for the United Appalachians of Cincinnati. In 1974, the United Appalachians of Cincinnati evolved to form the Urban Appalachian Council, keeping the Appalachian Identity Center under it’s umbrella.

The first Appalachian Festival was held in the basement of Cincinnati’s own Music Hall. In 1975, The Appalachian Community Development Association (The A.C.D.A.), now sponsor of the Appalachian Festival, was formed. As the festival grew, it moved to the Cincinnati Convention Center and on to the present location at historic Coney Island, in the 1980’s. To make a long story short, without “Papa” there probably wouldn’t be an Urban Appalachian Council or Appalachian Festival.
Russ Childers has dedicated his life and career entertaining and educating us about Appalachia’s rich musical traditions. The A.C.D.A.’s very proud to present this years’ Ernie Mynatt Award to him!