Best Local Do-Gooder
Elsa Rivera
The Big Top is a marvel unto itself – a huge circus venue that can fold up and travel to the next pop-up show. Elsa Rivera has that unrivaled type of Big Top energy, volunteering for one project and then packing up and moving on to the next, and she does it all with a warm smile. She’s involved with the many fundraisers and events behind-the-scenes, helping a team pull off the work of the Big Sur Food and Wine Festival, All-In Monterey County and the Big Sur Fashion Show. She’s also willing to take the stage herself, as an emcee and a dancer and performer – and she volunteers doing surf therapy, too. That smile? Yes, it’s everywhere, whether audience-facing or doing the administrative work that makes these many community organizations go.