OREM — Jerry and Barbara Elison have a Steinway, a baby grand and three electric pianos in their front room along with thousands of pieces of music.

Barbara Elison has been teaching piano for 60 years, and her husband, Jerry, has directed 80 plays and musicals over the past 24 years and taught at Orem High School for 36 years.

Wednesday night all those years — and pianos — were recognized when the Orem residents received the Citizen of the Year award from the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Barbara Elison said she wasn't surprised about her husband receiving the award, but she was shocked and honored when told that she was receiving it, too.

She said she has always loved music and enjoys being able to influence other people through her teaching.

Jerry Elison said he "was raised as a farm boy" and doesn't know how he got into plays, but he remembers as an elementary boy getting all of his classmates together and writing plays for them to put on in his front yard.

Another recipient, Blendtec, which received the Business of the Year award, didn't get its fame from music or playwriting, but rather from its "Will it Blend?" videos on YouTube for blending items like iPods, rake handles and glow sticks. Millions of people around the world have watched these videos put on by Blendtec's founder and CEO, Tom Dickson, and even send in requests on what to blend.

Blendtec started about 25 years ago when Dickson discovered a new way to blend mill grains, said Jeff Robe, marketing director for Blendtec.

The company then got into building complex blenders and is presenting its newest Self-Serve Smoothie System, or S-3, at a trade show in Las Vegas this week. The S-3 allows customers to choose one of eight different kinds of smoothies, press a button and let the machine do the rest, Robe said.

David Beck, president of Blendtec, said about 80 percent of the company's supplies come from Utah.

Other recipients of the night included Paul Magleby with Magleby's Construction as Businessman of the Year, Sue Robinson with Signature Promotion as Businesswoman of the Year, Orem's Sleepy Ridge Golf Course with the Business Beautification award and Kids on the Move as the Non-Profit of the Year.

This year was the 31st annual Watkins awards giveaway, in which awards are presented to businesses and individuals in north Utah Valley. The awards were named after Orem businessman, church leader and former U.S. Senator Arthur V. Watkins.

For more information about the awards, visit thechamber.org.

e-mail: slenz@desnews.com