… the 30 for the Future Award Celebration, of course! One of the reasons this gala stands out from most awards ceremonies is the music that is used throughout the evening.

Each of the 30 recipients selected five songs that make the story of their life. A snippet from one of those songs was played for each person as they were brought up on stage during the event. Steve Wonder’s song "That Girl" was selected from the songs chosen by Mexie Wilson. What does that have to do with Dan and Jay? Dan Colantone is the president and CEO of the Greater Akron Chamber which founded the award, and our own Jay Mellon was one of the recipients this year.

The Greater Akron Chamber 30 for the Future Awards presentation was held last Monday (Sept. 13) at the Akron Civic Theatre (photos, videos, full story). The award recognizes individuals, under the age of 40, who have proven to be inspirational and accomplished within the Greater Akron community.

The music individualizes each of the award presentations, giving the audience a glimpse of the personality of the recipient. However, the music also keeps the audience engaged and entertained. On a more personal note, it helped me expand the music library on my computer.

The following are some songs that really stood out to me, both for their lyrics and their relevance to the celebration:

Send Me on My Way, Rusted Root
Wild World, Cat Stevens
That Girl, Stevie Wonder
Blessed, Brett Dennan
Superman, Five for Fighting

Here are the remainder of the songs, their artists, and the person who chose them. Congratulations to all of the “younguns” who are contributing to the future of Akron.

Not included on the list above are the following: Marie Reichart, Kim Palmer, Julie Zhao, Mary Swann, Angie Wells, Matt Ellis, Keith Stahl, Chris Hallier, Don Padgett III and James McNutt.