Tony-winning Richland High grad to headline 2025 Tri-Citian of the Year banquet

Santino Fontana, the 2000 Richland High School graduate and Tony Award-winning Broadway star, will give the keynote address at the 2025 Tri-Citian of the Year banquet.

Tri-Citian of the Year is the Mid-Columbia’s top civic honor.

The winner’s identity is a well-guarded secret until it’s announced during the program, which begins at 6 p.m., April 17 at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick.

Fontana is the latest homegrown celebrity to take a turn headlining the event.

In 2018, then Secretary of Defense Gen. James Mattis gave the address when the Don Pratt, a local builder, was honored for matching his professional success as a builder with civic activism.

Santino Fontana is best known for his work voicing Prince Hans in the Disney Frozen movies and as the star of the Broadway version of Tootsie. He has received the Tony Award, two Drama Desk Awards and other honors for his work in both plays and musicals.

The banquet will be emceed by Cathy Kelly with support from the 2024 honoree, Sharon Grant of Friends of Badger Mountain.

Individual tickets to the banquet are $75. Supporters can sign on as sponsors for amounts starting at $100 and up to $10,000.

Tri-Citian of the Year began in 1962 as an initiative of the Tri-City Herald and continued until 1970. Following a nine-year hiatus, it revived in 1980 as s a joint initiative of area Rotary Clubs, later joined by Kiwanis clubs.

The program honors the spirit of “service above self” and is given to individuals for exceptional community service. Recent honorees include former PNNL Director Lura Powell (2023), Grace Clinic’s Mark Brault (2022), and real estate executive David Retter (2019).

Go to tricitianoftheyear.com.