WATERLOO - The Waterloo Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Cedar Falls Tourism and Visitors Bureau handed out their annual tourism awards at a ceremony Wednesday in Waterloo.

The Black Hawk Hotel in downtown Cedar Falls was named the Cedar Valley Hotel of the Year. The Black Hawk is the oldest continuously operating hotel site in Iowa and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Waterloo Black Hawks hockey program was named Business of the Year due to its impact on the Cedar Valley, varying from bringing visitors to downtown Waterloo to being involved in fundraising efforts for local charities. In the last year, funds were raised for flood relief and Autism Awareness. Donations were made to the Salvation Army, Humane Society and the Waterloo Youth Hockey Association. This past year saw record attendance at Young Arena, with the team averaging more than a sell out for each home game in "Party Town."

The Event of the Year category recognized John Deere Waterloo Operations' 90th Anniversary celebration, which brought tens of thousands of people to downtown Waterloo in late September. The event was the first to use the RiverLoop Expo Area in downtown Waterloo.

The Phelps Youth Pavilion at the Waterloo Center for the Arts was recognized as the Attraction of the Year. Since opening in spring 2008, the Phelps Youth Pavilion has had more than 33,000 visitors from all across Iowa and 20 states. The pavilion offers 40 hands-on exhibits to kids of all ages and walks of life. The pavilion offers opportunities for group tours, school groups and families or individuals and features rotating exhibits to showcase new artists and activities to patrons.

The Cedar Falls Tourism and Visitors Bureau recognized Justin Sell and the Waterloo Convention and Visitors Bureau recognized Mary Swehla as their Friends of Tourism. Both recipients have served on the Bureaus' boards of directors and have advanced tourism and travel industry through their professional and volunteer work.

Special recognition also was made to the people of Waterloo and Cedar Falls for their inspiring spirit overcoming the challenges presented by the floods and tornadoes of 2008. The tourism community was able to continue and thrive because of the passion of the residents for their communities.