Amy Gabay from Explore La Crosse earns statewide award

APPLETON, Wis. — In two years as director of mentorship role for Explore La Crosse, Amy Gabay has been recognized for helping fund local celebrations and promoting tourism throughout the county.

Over the weekend, Gabay was one of five picked for the 2018 Governor’s Tourism Rising Star Award.

Only 11 were nominated for a rising star award.

Some award contests at the state level tell the winners ahead of time, so they’ll show up to receive their honors.

Gabay says it was a surprise when she heard her name announced at the state conference last week … kind of.

“It was the ladies from the Wisconsin Great River Road who had nominated me, and they had asked my director for some information on me that he didn’t have,” Gabay said. “So, when I started getting bio questions coming to me, I thought, ‘Ah, I think there’s something up.’”

Gabay gave credit to local volunteers, who do a lot of the work to organize the region’s festivals.

“So, these are volunteers, who are passionate and interested, and they want to see the Great River Road grow and expand and be a force of tourism in western Wisconsin,” Gabay said.

Gabay is busy promoting upcoming events for the spring and summer, including the Driftless Sports Convergence in May.