Ori’s sister, Shani, accepts Frank’s award from 2017 chamber president Robert Oliver.
Each year, the Carbon County Chamber of Commerce President is tasked with giving the president’s choice award. This year, the award didn’t go to a business, or an organization, or even a group. However, the award went to someone that embodies many of these things throughout the community.
“This is an individual that I think everyone knows, everyone in this rooms knows, probably everyone in this county knows,” Chamber President Robert Oliver said before unveiling his choice at a banquet on Thursday. “I think this person has probably become one of the voices of Carbon County.”
This person is Frank Ori. Whether hearing his voice over the radio, speaking with him at a Carbon Rec event, or taking his class at the local university, Frank’s voice and energy permeates multiple facets of the community. Oliver invited Ori’s sister, Shani Ori, to speak on behalf of the entire Ori family and accept the award for her brother at last week’s chamber banquet.
“To put into words someone like my older brother is hard,” Shani said. “What areas do I focus on? What details would he not want everyone to know, and what would he? After a really long debate within myself I decided: It’s Frank. He isn’t going to be worried about how I describe him, other than in his words “good looking” and “handsome.” He would be more concerned with me wanted to thank everyone in true Frank fashion.”
While Frank is well-known for his efforts throughout the community, those efforts hit close to home as his family works alongside him as he works to recover from a stroke.
“I always thought Frank was larger than life to our family, but I’m learning this community feels the same about him,” Shani said. “I speak for my entire family when we say we cannot thank you all enough. Frank would be touched by the support for him if he were here to witness it all.”
The chamber presented a plaque to Shani to deliver to Frank while he continues his road to recovery.
