First State Community Bank, in partnership with the Warren County Record, will sponsor its annual Community KickStart contest to reward area nonprofit organizations and raise awareness about their good work.Community members will vote on their favorite organization among a group of nominees.The top winner will receive a $2,500 award and 20 volunteer hours from First State Community Bank employees. The top winner also will receive coverage in the The Record. The three runner-up winners will receive $200 each and stories in theThe Record.All applicants will have links from the newspaper’s website to each organization’s website and nominee profiles in the Warren County Record leading up to the vote.Here’s how it works:To enter, organizations should complete an application at First State Community Bank, 1022 N. Highway 47 in Warrenton, or online at www.Fscb.com/kickstart or www.warrencountyrecord.com/application.Applications are due by Sept. 29.To vote, clients, co-workers, volunteers and friends of these organizations should come to First State Community Bank between Oct. 1-Oct. 31 to cast a paper ballot or vote online at http://fscb.com/kickstart. Each person who votes is entered into a drawing for an iPad Mini.The final four contestants will be announced Nov. 3. The contest winner and iPad winner will be announced Nov. 10. Contestants must be present to win.The top winner will be formally recognized at the bank Nov. 17.Last year’s winner was Youth in Need.Get to know the first nominees here:Strong Tower Ranch sits on over 100-plus acres and features unique horsemanship and day camps with the goal of providing quality, Christ-centered programs that are entertaining, character building and rehabilitating.Strong Tower reminds individuals that they have a mighty fortress in Christ. The organization wants children, teens and adults who come to the ranch to find love and refuge from a harsh world.The group’s priority is to help those who are at risk or less fortunate or dealing with tragic circumstances, and give them tools to better navigate through life’s challenges and become a positive influence in the world around them.Those who attend can receive sponsorship based on need. However, it is not always easy to identify “need.” Abuse, neglect, learning disorders, divorce, incarcerated parent, addiction, bullying, the list of problems people are facing goes on and many are not always visible from the outside.Ranch members believe that all kids are at some type of risk. Sometimes, it takes several visits to identify and uncover what is truly going on in their lives.Strong Tower Ranch is a Christian not-for-profit organization. It is a non-denominational, nonprofit ministry and organization that is dependent on prayers, individual and foundation financial support and a large volunteer base.True to its mission statement, the organization strives to incorporate Christian principles and encourage Christian character through all of its daily camp activities. The center offers clients a sense of accomplishment, self-worth, and in the horsemanship programs, a very willing, giant-nosed partner to connect with and learn valuable life skills with.Programs at Strong Tower Ranch run year-round. One its goals has been to provide free services, which it plans to offer this fall and requires additional funding. Donations like this will open the door to providing these services to more disadvantaged children, teens and adults. It will also help with the upkeep of the property and buildings and continuous care of the horses that make the program special.Profiles on each of the nominees will run as they are entered into the contest.Community KickStart