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Albert Lea Tribune
Saturday, February 29, 2020
Brad Arends was selected as the 2020 Citizen of the Year. Colleen Harrison/Albert Lea Tribune
It’s a case of giving back for Albert Lea’s
CITIZEN OF THE W YEAR
Rod Schlader, president of MercyOne North Iowa, speaks in September at the Albert Lea American Legion.
Brad Arends has led local health care initiative, devoted long hours out of an effort to better the community By Sarah Stultz
sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com
hen Albert Lean Brad Lea,” he said. Those efforts have turned into Arends was asked by his father to lead countless hours of volunteer service, the grassroots Save starting with the Save Our Hospital Our Hospital organi- group and morphing into Save Our zation in 2017, he never imagined Healthcare and now the Albert Lea Healthcare Coalition. he would still be inFor this service to volved with it three the community, the years down the road. Albert Lea Citizen of “Nobody thought it the Year Committee would be this long — selected Arends as maybe only a couple Albert Lea’s Citizen months,” Arends said. of the Year for 2020. “But long before I got Mariah Lynne, who involved, the citizens nominated him for were really engaged.” the award, said she Arends said as a — Brad Arends has known Arends for businessman in the over a decade and has community, he felt a seen his passion for duty to be a good corporate citizen community in a multitude of ways, and to thank all of the people who helped his family and business over usually behind the scenes. But, none has been greater than his giving of the years. “I felt a debt of gratitude to give See AWARD, Page 9 back to the community of Albert
“I felt a debt of gratitude to give back to the community of Albert Lea.”
What’s inside?
A strong partnership Humane Society has strong relationships with area veterinarians. Page 2
Capturing Lake Mills What started as a way to photograph family in sports turned into passion. Page 5
Junior Citizen of the Year High schooler involved in student council, school board, local politics. Page 13
The ‘heart’ of the Blue Zones Ten years after pilot project, Blue Zones philosophies still changing Albert Lea. Page 20