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Valley of the Flowers Peace Prize

The Lompoc Peace Prize

The Valley of the Flowers United Church of Christ (VOTF UCC) recognizes people in Lompoc who have had a really positive impact on our community, doing things that inspire peace, harmony and understanding.  The celebration of these everyday saints gets wide coverage in our city and we host, at our church, a special event where we give the Peace Prize to the person our Peace Prize Committee has decided is the most worthy person in the community to receive this prize.  We also honor those nominated individuals who are the runners-up in the selection process.  The Peace Prize was presented every year from 2010 to 2020, and is presented in odd years starting in 2025.

What is the Peace Prize and who designed it?
Victoria McReynolds, Lompoc High School class of 1997 and her associate, ceramicist Brian Widmaier, designed the prize, which is shown on the right.  It is 24″ x 8″ x 4″ and is made of black oak, copper and ceramic.

Who is eligible to receive the Lompoc Peace Prize?
The person will have contributed in significant ways to promote peaceful connections, unity and goodwill in the Lompoc community.  They can be nominated by an individual, organization, or the Peace Prize Committee.

What information must the nominating person or group provide?
They must complete a nomination form and return it to the VOTF UCC. For 2025, there were four ways to accomplish this, and we will set up similar processes for 2027:

  1. Using the QR code reader on your phone, read the QR code on the left of this webpage; fill out the form with the nomination data, then left-click the ‘Submit’ button at the bottom of the form.
  2. Left-click on the URL below to access the nomination form, type the pertinent information into the data fields, and left-click the ‘Submit’ button at the bottom of the form:  The_Lompoc_Peace_Prize_Nomination_Form
  3. Type up the answers to the nomination form on your computer or into the fillable downloadable .pdf (Adobe Acrobat file) here: Downloadable_Fillable_Peace_Prize_Nomination_Form, save your submission form as a .pdf (Adobe Acrobat file), and send it as an attachment to an email to: thelomopocpeaceprize@gmail.com.
  4. Fill out the form manually, or type and/or print the nomination information onto the form, and mail the printed/filled out nomination form to: Peace Prize, Valley of the Flowers UCC, 3346 Constellation Road, Lompoc CA 93436.

You can contact the Peace Prize Committee by phone at (805) 743-3525; please be prepared to leave a message, and the Peace Prize Committee will get back to you as soon as possible.

Who can nominate someone for the Peace Prize?
Any individual or organization in the Lompoc Valley.  You cannot nominate yourself.  The Peace Prize Committee will keep the identity of nominators anonymous.

Does the recipient keep the prize?
Yes, for two years.  The honoree’s name will be engraved on the award, and the prize will be re-awarded the following odd calendar year.

Who decides who will be the Peace Prize recipient?
A committee of members of the VOTF UCC congregation, as well as several representatives from various sectors of the Lompoc community.

What is the timeframe for nominating someone, and when is the Peace Prize awarded?
Nominations will be accepted during the Fall of 2026 (we will provide specific dates in mid-2026).  The Peace Prize will be awarded in during the summer of 2027 (specific date to be announced in early 2027) at a celebration event at the VOTF UCC church in Vandenberg Village.

What is the origin of the Lompoc Peace Prize?
A “brainstorming” session occurred at the VOTF UCC in 2009.  It was approved as the Lompoc Peace Prize by the church council in February 2010.  After Victoria and Brian created the actual Peace Prize, it was formally dedicated at morning worship on August 8th, 2010.  The first Peace Prize was awarded at an event at the church in 2011.