By Lauren Kollauf on Monday, February 18, 2019
Work of winners, finalists showcased in videos
The Healthiest State Annual Awards on Feb. 7 recognized Iowans from across the state who are working to make the healthy choice the easy choice for their students, employees and citizens.

AWARDS: See a full list of winners | See photo gallery
While winners in each category were announced, the highlight of the evening was showcasing the efforts of each finalist. Each school, workplace and individual submitted a short video to be shown during the event.
Take a look at each video below:
Education
Irving Elementary (Waterloo) - WINNER
Pierce Elementary (Cedar Rapids)
Individual
Jessica Wegner - WINNER
Kris Kavanaugh
Katie Sandquist
Small Workplace
POET Biorefining (Hanlontown) - WINNER
Merchants Bonding Company
Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission
Medium Workplace
Gundersen Palmer Lutheran Hospital & Clinics - WINNER
DLL Finance
Smithfield Hog Production - Midwest Region
Large Workplace
Des Moines University - WINNER
Kemin Industries
Meredith Corporation
Community
There were nine finalists in the Healthy Hometown, powered by Wellmark, Community Award category. Read more about the finalists' accomplishments, including winners Knoxville, Mason City and Algona, here.
Each winner was granted a monetary gift to continue their work focused on improving the health and wellbeing of their employees, students or citizens. The Healthiest State Annual Awards were sponsored by Hy-Vee, Inc., Wellmark Blue Cross® and Blue Shield®, Iowa Medical Society and Capital City Fruit.