The Richmonder 25: Meet the 2026 honorees
Earlier this year we asked our readers to nominate a Richmonder who takes it upon themselves to make Richmond a better place. And you delivered!
We narrowed down from more than 100 submissions to arrive at this year's list of The Richmonder 25. We are profiling each of the honorees in our newsletter, and will celebrate them with a party in September.
The party:
When: Friday, September 25. Doors at 5 p.m, program at 6:15 p.m.
Where: The Hippodrome Theater, 528 N. 2nd Street
What: Heavy hors d'oeuvres, full bar, music, free parking
Dress: Cocktail festive!
Cost: $115 for the public, $85 for Richmonder donors (use code Richmonder1 for one ticket, or Richmonder2 for a couples ticket)
Interested in a table for you and your friends or colleagues? Find those here.
We're honored to welcome Perris Jones, former UVA football player and author of Ashes to End Zone, as our keynote speaker. Perris will share his inspiring story of resilience, reflecting on how a life-altering injury on the football field transformed his purpose and led him to a life of service to others.
Buy your tickets here. We hope you'll join us as we bring the community together to recognize these remarkable individuals!
Stories honoring this year's honorees will run each Monday, Wednesday and Friday in The Richmonder. Come back from now through September to meet them!
The honorees:
July 20: Firewood volunteer Steve Allen delivers warmth to Richmonders who need it
July 22: Sherrie McKeithan's impact reaches every corner of Westover Hills
July 24: Joe Kelleher went back to school in his 80s to help veterans with PTSD
July 27: Megan Shockley hosts evenings of music and human connection
July 29: Keys Pattie is the glue holding Richmond's ultimate frisbee scene together
July 31: Whether it's archery or baking, Amanda Robinson makes space for others
Aug. 3: Jim Bailey helps prisoners make the most of their fresh start
Aug. 5: ‘Silly Genius’ is creating a city where everyone can be a creator
Aug. 7: LaDonna Lewis ensures no young woman feels alone while battling breast cancer
Aug. 10: Gabriela León-Pérez does research to offer real-world solutions
Aug. 12: Coach Loretta Watson has been cheering on Richmond's girls for 30 years
Aug. 14: Shuttle driver Sean Hackney makes visits memorable
Aug. 17: Lea Whitehurst-Gibson works to amplify Southside's voice
Aug. 19: Christie Chipps Peters leads Richmond Animal Care and Control with optimism
Aug. 21: Nikkia Young keeps Richmond running
Stay tuned for more throughout the summer!
Series sponsor:
Proud to call Richmond home, Estes is driven by people who go the extra mile — every day, for every customer. As the nation’s largest privately held freight carrier and a Richmond Top Workplace, we’re always looking for great people to join our team.
