Honorary Mayor and Community Champion to be Announced at Awards Dinner
Oct 12, 2026 05:33PM ● By MPG Staff
RIO LINDA, CA (MPG) – Rio Linda will recognize community involvement and local nonprofit fundraising Friday, Oct. 16, when the 2026 Honorary Mayor and Community Champion are announced during an awards dinner at Lifepoint Church.
Six candidates participated in this year's Honorary Mayor race, including one candidate competing for junior mayor. Each candidate selected a nonprofit organization to support, with every dollar donated counting as one vote in the competition.
This year’s candidates are Jessica Thornhill representing Sacramento Barnyard Bidders, Amanda Ridgeway representing Rio Linda Bible Quizzers, Kris McFunstigate representing RLE Community Theatre, Tim Tate representing Rio Linda Jr. Knights, Zafahnah Hussein representing Friends of the Feline Rescue and junior Mayor candidate Leo Carothers representing Rio Linda Bible Quizzers.
The winner will replace current honorary mayor, Tonia Silva who raised funds for the Rio Linda Bible Quizzers.
Tommy Hall was named Community Champion at last year’s ceremony.
The Community Champion Award is an annual honor recognizing a local individual who makes an impact on the Rio Linda/Elverta community through leadership, service and community involvement.
The Friday event begins at 5:30 p.m. when doors open. Dinner is served at 6:15 p.m. and awards begin around 7 p.m.
Lifepoint Church is located at 7200 Rio Linda Blvd, Rio Linda.
