In just a few days, one organization in Jefferson is going to find out if the second time around strikes gold.

Jefferson Matters was named a semi-finalist for the Great American Main Street Award and on Monday at the Main Street America conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is when the announcement of the top three finalists are unveiled. Jefferson Matters Executive Director Matt Wetrich elaborates more about what the big deal being a GAMSA finalist is, after the organization missed out the last time they were a semi-finalist in 2020.

“And that really is the top honor you can get (as a Main Street community). So we’re hoping for that. We feel like we’re there and I know people hear like, ‘What? How’s Jefferson, Iowa even on the map for this?’ Well, we are on the map. This is one of those things to even be mentioned as a semi-finalist that’s telling us that helps guide us down the road knowing that we’re on that right road and to keep going on this road.”   

Wetrich is excited that about 20 people from Greene County are traveling to the City of Brotherly Love to be there first-hand with big hopes of being one of the top three Main Street communities in the nation.

“Number one, it’s not surprising we have this big of a group because we have such passionate people that are involved in not just Jefferson Matters, but in the community. And that’s one of the things we pride ourselves in is being able to be a home for people who want to make a difference in the community and find those passionate people and empower them and steering them in a way that they can do that.”   

Wetrich adds that the GAMSA ceremony is scheduled to take place at 10:30am on Monday. Listen to KGRA 98.9FM, through the free mobile app or under the Listen Live tab on the website raccoonvalleyradio.com as the announcement is live streamed with Jefferson Matters.