Connecticut's top economic development projects, programs and leaders from across the state were honored at the annual CELEBRATE CT! event recently hosted by the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Inc. (CERC), a nonprofit company that promotes Connecticut as a competitive business location. The 2012 CELEBRATE CT! Award recipients (by region) are: North Central / Hartford Nufern Connecticut - Israel Technology Summit Central / Bristol Yarde Metals Hospital of Central Connecticut Cancer Center South Central / New Haven Gateway Community College Community Foundation for Greater New Haven Waterbury / Naugatuck City of Waterbury Anti-blight Program Naugatuck River Greenway, Town of Beacon Falls Northwest / Torrington Alcoa Howmet Torrington Downtown Partners West / Danbury Boehringer Ingelheim KimchuK Inc. Southwest / Stamford / Bridgeport Pepperidge Farm Vita Health and Wellness District Middlesex GKN Aerospace Services Structures Corp. Middletown Summer Youth Employment Program Southeast / New London / Norwich Lawrence + Memorial Hospital OpSail CT 2012 Northeast / Windham Quinebaug Manufacturing Technology Center Coventry Regional Farmers' Market & The Farmers' Market Trail The state Department of Economic and Community Development commissioner Catherine Smith was on hand to congratulate the award honorees and present an update on state efforts. More than 170 economic development and business professionals attended the event to celebrate the many successes and accomplishments in growing local communities, regions and the state this year. "These awards pay tribute to the hardworking people and successful programs and projects of 2012," said CERC president and CEO Robert Santy. "We at CERC are proud to partner with the regions to celebrate these admirable honorees and we look forward to what 2013 will bring us." The event would not have been possible without support from the following sponsors: Connecticut Municipal Electrical Energy Cooperative, Gateway Community College, UIL Holdings Corporation, Anthem, BlumShapiro, Boehringer Ingelheim, Central Connecticut State University Institute of Technology and Business Development, Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, Connecticut Business & Industry Association, Connecticut Community Investment Corporation, Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Economic Development Association, Connecticut Innovations, Connecticut Small Business Development Center, Fuss & O'Neill, Lindberg & Ripple, MetroHartford Alliance, New England Real Estate Journal and Webster Bank.