Jim Weart

Jim Weart first arrived in Mankato, Minnesota in 1975 and has spent the last 15 years as a cornerstone of the Mankato Family YMCA's Brother/Sister Mentoring Program — the past four years entirely as an unpaid volunteer. Drawing on his own experience of losing his father as a boy, Weart mentors young people who face similar gaps in their lives, showing up consistently year after year. In July 2025, Schwickert's Tecta America named him the inaugural recipient of their revived Community Hero award. Rather than simply accepting the recognition, Weart turned the occasion into another act of generosity — presenting a $1,000 donation to the YMCA's mentorship program on the spot.