CRESTON — For more than 35 years, the Creston Booster Club has been recognizing a Creston area resident with the Theodore Cederholm Community Service Award during the Creston Booster Day weekend.
This year, committee members chose not one, but two people to receive the award — Tonya and Lonie Sarver.
The Sarvers have been residents in the Village of Creston for more than 15 years and have given back to their community many times over, according to booster club member Debby Katzman.
“Tonya and Lonie are so deserving of this award,” Katzman said. “They give their time and effort to the community, not only to the booster club, but in other areas as well.”

The Sarvers were nominated to receive the award based on their continued involvement in the community. Both have served as volunteers on the Creston Fire Department and serve on the booster club.
Lonie spearheaded Creston Booster Days for two years and served as committee president for six months and Tonya is a Creston School Board member.
“I couldn’t think of two more deserving people. Lonie & Tonya are always giving and doing for others, not just in the Creston community, but to every aspect of their life. They never slow down, have the biggest hearts, and quite fun on top of it,” Lauri Hays commented on the Rochelle News-Leader Facebook post sharing the news Sunday.
Shelly Primrose Lawson also commented, “This festival takes many, many hands but without these two and their family today would not have happened. Very, very deserving! Congrats you two!”
The Cederholm Award was established by the Creston Booster Club in the early 1980s to commemorate Creston resident Ted Cederholm. Cederholm served his friends and neighbors as mayor of the village for 27 years. He was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church, he was a Mason, and was a founding member of the Creston Booster Club.
“I know we are honored to have received the award. We just truly care about the town we live in and we are always willing to help where help is needed,” Lonie said. “We have served on the fire department and the booster club and Tonya on school board. And our next adventure at the end of the month is to start renovation on the old Smokin’ Harry’s in town. We have thought about selling [our home] plenty of times but we truly do live in the best neighborhood and town.”