Boy Scouts of America Honors WITZ's Gene Kuntz with Distinguished Citizen Award

Huntingburg - The Boy Scouts of America Buffalo Trace Council honored WITZ General Manager Gene Kuntz with the Distinguished Citizen Award on Wednesday evening at the Huntingburg Event Center.

With the 2020 awards banquet cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 195 people convened at the Huntingburg Event Center in honor of the 29th Annual Distinguished Citizen Award winner, WITZ/WQKZ's Gene Kuntz.

Even an extra year of waiting couldn't dampen Kuntz's night.

"I think it's really beyond words," Kuntz said. "We knew in 2020 that this was going to happen, but then COVID happened, and we couldn't do the awards. I kind of had to keep quiet for a whole year - and that was a little tough."

Though the award ceremony was not held the previous year, the fundraising effort for the Boy Scouts continued.

"We continued the fundraising for scouting, and I think that's what this night is really about," Kuntz added.

Reflective of his years associated with the Boys Scouts, Kuntz received a framed award including 21 Boys Scouts pins representing the activities and ideals closest to him. The award was walked up the aisle to the stage by his grandson, Brayden.

Kuntz joins the now 29-member list of past winners, including Bob Ruckriegel, Brenda Stallings, and this year's emcee, Tom Krodel.

Network Indiana's Indiana Sports Talk host Bob Lovell was the banquet's featured speaker.

Among many other awards and recognition, Kuntz has been awarded a Key to the City of Jasper, the Distinguished Service Award from the Jasper Jaycees, and Billboard Magazine's "Program Director of the Year" for radio markets under 100,000 population.