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OGDEN — More than three dozen Ogden businesses and residents were recognized Friday at the fourth annual Indie Ogden Awards.
Ogden resident and local blogger Mikaela Shafer-Platter started the event, she said, because she felt like a lot of the award ceremonies in the Beehive State didn't honor Ogden.
"And there's a lot of great businesses here that have been around for generations, or that are really a key part of our community," Shafer-Platter said.
Shafer-Platter moved to Ogden from Portland, Oregon, about 5 years ago and started a blog called Indie Ogden, where she updated her friends and family about what she was discovering in a town she said she fell in love with.
The community loved the Indie Ogden Awards the first year, and this year, about 450 people attended the event at the Courtyard Marriott on 24th Street.
During the event, The Joe McQueen Quartet entertained audience members, who partook in different kinds of food and tried out a slow motion booth.
In addition to the businesses Indie Ogden honored, they recognized the Ogdenite of the Year, Cindy Simone.
Simone owns the Kokomo Club on 25th Street and organizes a yearly event to feed the homeless on Christmas Eve.
Hundreds of homeless people attended the most recent event, where dozens of volunteers offered assistance.
Shafer-Platter said Simone doesn't just help on Christmas Eve, she serves hot coffee to homeless people who enter her bar and gives them a coat.
The businesses were recognized in four different categories, including dining, entertainment, community and shopping.
Slow Mo Video Booth at the 4th Anuual Indie Ogden AwardsWow! Just... Wow! You all look amazing partying in super slow motion at the 4th Annual Indie Ogden Awards. Please share this video with all your friends and show them how good you looked.Thanks to Mikaela, the winners, and everyone else who put on such a great event.Please visit our site http://circa3.com/work/indie-ogden/and maybe even like the #CIRCA3 page. :)#IndieOgdenAwards #SlowMo
Posted by Circa3 on Monday, January 11, 2016
In the "community" category, Amir Jackson with Nurture the Creative Mind secured the win for Teacher of the Year. Some of the award-winning restaurants include Lucky Slice, Rovali's Ristorante Italiano, Carlos & Harley's and Tona Sushi.
Additional winners included 25th Street Boutique, Lotus Yoga & Dance, Smith & Edwards and Peery's Egyptian Theater.
The businesses were nominated and voted upon last October. Anyone in the community can nominate and vote, and more than 8,000 did.
The winners were presented with their awards and a gift box of locally-made chocolate.
"The great thing about the Indie Ogden Awards and Ogden local businesses is that they really do care about each other," Shafer-Platter said. "And this isn't really a competition where … there's no jealousy, and there's no animosity. Ogden businesses really do come together to support each other, and they cheer each other on, so any business you visit downtown, it's going to be a great place to be."
