Each year, the Helping Hands of Holladay Awards Program recognizes community champions whose contributions often go unnoticed. At a Holladay City Council meeting in September, two city residents were presented with the award to thank them for their inspiration and service.

Denise Swope, a long-time president and board member of Crown Colony Baseball, was honored for her work in coaching and leading the league, as well as securing the fields at 1399 Kings Row Drive to preserve a community space dedicated to baseball. 

Mayor Rob Dahle called Swope “a pillar of the Holladay youth sports community” before presenting her with the Helping Hands of Holladay Award.

“Her years of service as a coach and champion at Crown Colony have shaped the lives of countless young athletes, I would venture to say, probably in the thousands,” Dahle said. “She’s coached both baseball and softball for over 30 years and has led elite-level sports programs for the past nine years. She has her own business now, where she allows kids to come and train.”

Dahle acknowledged her efforts to save the ball fields that have become a gathering place for the community. He thanked her for the number of volunteer hours she put in to maintain the teams, schedules, coaches and umpires. 

“I thought, when Denise leaves, it’s all going to fall apart,” he said. “But every year somebody seems to set it up and it keeps going…It’s as strong as ever, so your legacy continues.”

The second recipient of the award was Bob Long, a Holladay resident who volunteers at the Carmel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Monastery on 5714 Holladay Blvd. Mother Superior Therese Bui had mentioned Long’s service to the mayor and the work he had done for the monastery for more than 40 years.

“Bob Long has quietly and faithfully served the Carmelite nuns of Holladay, embodying the spirit of selfless service, whether it was tending to the lawn, maintaining the landscaping, or performing countless unseen acts of kindness,” Dahle said. “Bob’s steady presence has been a source of comfort and support to the sisters and their sacred mission. His work has never been about recognition. It’s been about love, respect and a deep sense of purpose.”

The Carmelite Monastery was founded in 1952 at a location in Salt Lake City, before moving to Holladay four years later. The Sisters living at the monastery devote their lives to prayer, silence, contemplation and love.

Dahle said Long shows up each week to tackle the monastery’s landscaping and lawn care with “grace, consistency and a quiet strength that speaks volumes.” Long’s family was in attendance to see him presented with the Helping Hands of Holladay Award.

“His humility has made him a cornerstone of the convent’s daily life and his generosity has uplifted not only the grounds but the hearts of those who live there,” Dahle said. “He reminds us that the most powerful acts of service are often the quietest and that the true impact is measured not in applause, but in the lives touched along the way.”

The award was started in 2018. For a complete list of winners through the years, visit HolladayUT.gov.