Preservationist and dedicated advocate of Civil War history Childs Frick Burden was recently honored with the 2014 Judy Patterson Tourism Award for his outstanding contributions to tourism.

Visit Loudoun named their most prestigious award for Judy Patterson, a tireless supporter of community events in Loudoun County.

Burden is president of the Mosby Heritage Area Association, and his four decades of preservation work include service on the Oatlands board of directors, the Civil War Trust, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Mount Zion Church Preservation Association, the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, the Loudoun County Historical Society and the Atoka Preservation Society.

Additional awards presented during the ceremony that showcase the contributions of individuals and organizations to tourism promotion included:

Tourism Event of the Year: Purcellville Food & Wine Festival.

Tourism Marketing Promotion/Campaign: Middleburg Film Festival.

Tourism Volunteer of the Year: Genie Ford, founder and co-founder of Shakespeare in the 'Burg and the Hunt Country Writers' Annual Retreat; and Loudoun's Civil War Sesquicentennial Steering Committee.

Tourism Front-Line Employee of the Year: Amy Thunell, event producer and day coordinator for The Stable at Bluemont Vineyard.

Tourism Management Employee of the Year: Gemma Brown, director of rooms at Salamander Resort and Spa.

Humanitarian Award: Shocktober at Paxton Campus.

Distinguished Service: Riley McGovern, front desk at Comfort Suites in Leesburg. The then 20-year-old saved the life of a guest who was found unresponsive in his room last May. The man, who had overdosed on pills and was armed with a handgun, survived after McGovern administered aid and called 911.

Steve Hines Remembered

This year, Visit Loudoun renamed the Partner of the Year award in honor of Steve Hines, who died in January. Hines was one of the founding members of Visit Loudoun's board and a steadfast advocate of tourism in Loudoun. The award was presented to Comfort Suites in Leesburg.