Chelsea wins third All‑America City award; residents, officials celebrate in Denver

Chelsea was named an All‑America City for the third time at an awards event in Denver, participants said.

The recognition drew applause from city officials and residents onstage, who described the award as affirmation of Chelsea’s recovery work, clean‑air efforts and community resilience. An onstage speaker said 10 people were selected as national champions during the competition.

“My name is Kayla Velez, and what an amazing weekend. This was the most amazing experience,” said Kayla Velez, a Chelsea participant. “The joy, the crowd, the excitement in every single aspect of it. And winning, this was a blessing from the sky.”

Ricky Velez, who identified himself as representing Chelsea Cable, said the delegation “have won” and described reporting on the event as a privilege. “It was a privilege to record, to be here, the excitement, to meet new people,” Ricky Velez said.

Speakers onstage repeatedly framed the award as recognition of local work on disaster recovery and environmental health. One onstage speaker said, “This community is learning from past natural disasters. This community is turning down the heat. This community is winning its quest for clean air.” That remark and similar comments were made during the ceremony and reflected the themes Chelsea delegates emphasized, attendees said.

City manager Fidel Maltez was singled out by participants for his role in the effort; a speaker from Denver thanked “Mister Fidel Maltez, our city manager,” for contributing to the city’s presentation. Several speakers also thanked volunteers, nonprofit partners and residents who supported the delegation.

Multiple presenters and participants described the moment as emotional and a source of local pride. “We are three times All‑America City,” one onstage speaker said; another described the team’s effort as “crushed it” after days of practice. Delegates said they planned to bring the trophy back to Chelsea and continue community work.

The awards event took place in a hotel in Denver, and several speakers noted the ceremony’s festive atmosphere and the size of the crowd. Participants repeatedly expressed gratitude to residents back home in Chelsea for supporting the delegation and said they would return to continue their work.

No formal policy actions or funding decisions were announced onstage during the remarks captured in the transcript; the ceremony consisted of acceptance remarks and onstage commentary by delegates and supporters.