With the creation of a special award, Keith and Joyce Bloom of Powell have long promoted examples of courage in young athletes.In 1997, they began sponsoring an award given annually by the Wyoming chapter of the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame. It has been presented every year since at the chapter's annual spring banquet. Keith Bloom was the founding president of the Wyoming chapter of the NFF in 1993.The award was presented Saturday night in Laramie to Brett Johnson of Kemmerer, who has triumphed over repeated adversity during four years at Kemmerer High School, including the loss of his father in an accident with a drunk driver. The 2009 award to Johnson for the first time carried the name of the Keith and Joyce Bloom Courage Award.Mike Schutte, current president of the Wyoming chapter, explained.“They have sponsored the Courage Award since its inception in 1997, and ironically, Keith and Joyce have shown courage above and beyond in the last several years, as Keith has dealt with five heart surgeries and Joyce was recently diagnosed with advanced bile duct cancer. It is only fitting the courage award be named officially The Keith and Joyce Bloom Scholar-Athlete Courage Award.”“Keith and Joyce are two of the most dedicated, unselfish, determined and courageous people I have ever known,” Schutte said. “They have spent their whole life serving others. and now, when they are both literally fighting for their lives, they are still more concerned about what is happening with the organizations they are involved with.”Bloom served as president of the Wyoming chapter of the National Football Foundation from 1993 to 2000.“Without Keith at the helm, the Wyoming chapter probably wouldn't have made it through the first few crucial years of existence, and Joyce was right there by his side helping in any way she could,” Schutte added.Joyce Bloom was with the Powell Valley Chamber of Commerce for 20 years and director from 1990 to 1996, during which time Powell was named an All America City. She received the Distinguished Alumnus award from her alma mater, Dickinson State College in Dickinson, N.D., in 2000; served on the state chamber board, was a founding director of the Park County Big Brothers/Big Sisters and presently serves on three county boards.Keith Bloom, whose Powell High School jersey from 1945 was recently retired, is perhaps the greatest athlete in PHS history. He played football, basketball and baseball for the University of Wyoming and was inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame. He coached four sports at Powell High School from 1953-1992 and served as athletic director for 16 years. He was a charter inductee in the Wyoming Coaches Hall of Fame and the National High School Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame.He has served as president of the Wyoming Coaches Association, the Powell Recreation District, UW Alumni Association, Powell Rotary Club, Wyoming Interscholastic Athletic Administrators and Powell Schools Foundation.He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from UW in 2006. He was selected one of Wyoming's “50 Best Athletes of the Century."

With the creation of a special award, Keith and Joyce Bloom of Powell have long promoted examples of courage in young athletes.

In 1997, they began sponsoring an award given annually by the Wyoming chapter of the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame. It has been presented every year since at the chapter's annual spring banquet. Keith Bloom was the founding president of the Wyoming chapter of the NFF in 1993.

The award was presented Saturday night in Laramie to Brett Johnson of Kemmerer, who has triumphed over repeated adversity during four years at Kemmerer High School, including the loss of his father in an accident with a drunk driver. The 2009 award to Johnson for the first time carried the name of the Keith and Joyce Bloom Courage Award.

Mike Schutte, current president of the Wyoming chapter, explained.

“They have sponsored the Courage Award since its inception in 1997, and ironically, Keith and Joyce have shown courage above and beyond in the last several years, as Keith has dealt with five heart surgeries and Joyce was recently diagnosed with advanced bile duct cancer. It is only fitting the courage award be named officially The Keith and Joyce Bloom Scholar-Athlete Courage Award.”

“Keith and Joyce are two of the most dedicated, unselfish, determined and courageous people I have ever known,” Schutte said. “They have spent their whole life serving others. and now, when they are both literally fighting for their lives, they are still more concerned about what is happening with the organizations they are involved with.”

Bloom served as president of the Wyoming chapter of the National Football Foundation from 1993 to 2000.

“Without Keith at the helm, the Wyoming chapter probably wouldn't have made it through the first few crucial years of existence, and Joyce was right there by his side helping in any way she could,” Schutte added.

Joyce Bloom was with the Powell Valley Chamber of Commerce for 20 years and director from 1990 to 1996, during which time Powell was named an All America City. She received the Distinguished Alumnus award from her alma mater, Dickinson State College in Dickinson, N.D., in 2000; served on the state chamber board, was a founding director of the Park County Big Brothers/Big Sisters and presently serves on three county boards.

Keith Bloom, whose Powell High School jersey from 1945 was recently retired, is perhaps the greatest athlete in PHS history. He played football, basketball and baseball for the University of Wyoming and was inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame. He coached four sports at Powell High School from 1953-1992 and served as athletic director for 16 years. He was a charter inductee in the Wyoming Coaches Hall of Fame and the National High School Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame.

He has served as president of the Wyoming Coaches Association, the Powell Recreation District, UW Alumni Association, Powell Rotary Club, Wyoming Interscholastic Athletic Administrators and Powell Schools Foundation.

He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from UW in 2006. He was selected one of Wyoming's “50 Best Athletes of the Century."