Proteus Inc., a nonprofit serving farmworkers and their families in Iowa, Nebraska and Indiana, presented Farmworker of the Year awards to Yaroslav Ziabkin and Luisa Castro Santiago, as well as a Partner of the Year award to Active Endeavors during the fifth annual “I’m Thankful for Farmworkers Dinner” on Nov. 9 at the River Center in Des Moines. The dinner, Proteus Inc.’s largest annual fundraiser dedicated to acknowledging the contributions of farmworkers, raised $86,500 to support farmworkers and various Proteus Inc. programs. Ziabkin, a Ukrainian refugee with farming experience in Ukraine and the United States, obtained his commercial driver’s license with support from Proteus Inc.’s National Farmworker Jobs Program and now crisscrosses the country as an over-the-road trucker. Luisa Castro Santiago, a farmworker originally from Mexico, has worked in hog farming operations for almost three decades. Active Endeavors, a retailer specializing in outdoor gear in the Des Moines area, has supported Proteus Inc. by helping secure Hydro Flasks for distribution to farmworkers.