A partnership between the city and Woodman Valley Chapel’s Center for Strategic Ministry is getting an award.

The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs’ Center for Study of Government and the Individual is awarding the Civic Innovator of the Year award Jan. 29 to the Westside Community Center LLC.

“The prolonged economic downturn has put local governments in a bind. How are they to meet an increasing demand for social services with decreasing revenues resulting from a slumping economy? Colorado Springs three years ago began meeting that challenge by forming public-private partnerships at the city’s pools and community centers, of which The Westside Community Center LLC — a partnership between the city of Colorado Springs and the Woodmen Valley Chapel’s Center for Strategic Ministry — is the stellar example,” according to Peak Freedom Forum, which is hosting the awards ceremony during its Food for Thought Luncheon.

The luncheon is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Cheyenne Mountain Resort, 3225 Broadmoor Valley Road. Cost is $30 per person. For more information or to register, click here.

Former City Councilman Sean Paige, who is on the Board of Directors of Peak Freedom Forum, said the award recognizes local individuals or organizations that harness private sector initiative to help address problems that might otherwise fall on government.

“I’m particularly excited about this year’s recipient, the private/public partnership operating the Westside Community Center, because I helped champion such new models while serving on City Council. When confronting major budget cuts, and with city pools and community centers on the chopping block, we on council put out the call for private sector assistance. And the response was amazing. The Westside Center is only one of the success stories that resulted, which we’ll talk more about on Jan. 29th, but we could only give out one such award this year and we felt that this partnership was most deserving,” he said in an email.