Pat Koch, original partner of Holiday World, receives state of Indiana's highest honor

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Pat Koch, a familiar face at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, earned a big award from the state of Indiana.

An original partner of the theme park, Koch was given the 2022 Sachem Award, the state's highest honor. The award recognizes someone whose lifetime of excellence brought honor to Indiana.

"Pat Koch is a Southern Indiana powerhouse who put Santa Claus, Indiana on the map," Gov. Eric Holcomb said in a news release Friday. "While her pathway to success has had many turns and detours, the fundamental theme in her life's work is to serve others. Pat embraces her fellow Hoosiers with love and kindness. From the countless smiles you will find at Holiday World or the love you feel from each letter she writes to a child who asks Santa Claus for that special gift, Pat is a reason the spirit of Christmas is alive and well and why she deserves Indiana's highest honor."

Koch, 91, remains an active member of the Spencer County Chamber of Commerce, America's Christmas Hometown Committee in Santa Claus, the Wisdom Program in the Diocese of Evansville, the Santa Claus Museum and Village and the Sisters of St. Benedict, Holcomb's office said in a news release Friday.