LEWISTON — When Tammie Grieshaber looks out over Auburn and sees Festival Plaza and a thriving riverfront, she thinks of one person in particular.

“That,” Grieshaber said Thursday night, “is Lee Young. She did all that, with a lot of help from a lot of good people.”

Young, the former Auburn mayor, was named Thursday night as the recipient of the YWCA of Central Maine’s inaugural Women of Achievement Award.

The award was the first of its kind, but being first is nothing new for Young. In 1981, she was the first woman to receive the Citizen of the Year award from the Auburn Business Association. In fact, the distinction was called “Man of the Year” until Young came along.

In 1996, Young became the first woman to be elected mayor of Auburn, and the improvements to the downtown began almost at once.

Young is, said Kathy Durgin-Leighton, executive director of the YWCA, “an exceptional embodiment of all that women leaders are capable of.”

The award was given to Young in a gala held at Lewiston’s Ramada Inn. At times, the event grew perilously close to a roast, with a video featuring childhood photos of Young and stories from her children, Rusty and Julie.

Instead of jokes and one-liners, though, the people in the room had nothing but praise and adulation for Young, the hero of the night. Former Androscoggin Chamber of Commerce President Chip Morrison referred to her as “the epitome of a dedicated community citizen.”

“Her lists of accomplishments are absolutely phenomenal,” Morrison said. “Watching her work is absolutely inspiring … She throws herself into everything she does with incredible passion and dedication. She was born to lead.”

Young, who has been involved with the YWCA since moving to Lewiston in the early 1970s, seemed the perfect choice for the award. According to the YWCA ceremony announcement: “Lee has been instrumental in the development of the YWCA and her work has contributed greatly to the organization’s success today. Her distinguished career achievements and community engagement work at the YWCA and at organizations throughout the region have paved the way for future generations of female leaders.”

U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, sent along a video tribute to honor the work Young has done for the Twin Cities and for the state. Choosing Young as the very first recipient of the award, King said, “is just the right way to begin.”

“Thanks,” King said, “for all that you’ve done for all of us in Maine.”

Young’s husband, Bill, was the last to take to the podium Thursday night, and he used his time to describe his long relationship with Lee. He recalled a day when they were newlyweds living in Paris, when his young wife greeted him at the door.

“She said, ‘I want you to tell me everything about your day,'” Bill Young recalled. “‘And then I’m going to tell you everything about mine.’ That ritual has gone on now for 51 years.”

Before he was done, Bill crooned a portion of John Coltrane’s “You Are Too Beautiful,” to his wife and brought the already energetic crowd to rousing applause.

Young, surrounded by her son, daughter, granddaughter and other family, appeared close to tears at several points during the tribute. When called to collect her award, she told the audience: “I think you know more about me than you ever wanted to know.”

She passed on some of the honor to those she worked with over the years.

“I have had the most extraordinary people working with me,” Young said. “I have had such pleasure doing the things that I have done.”

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Across the bridge in Auburn on Thursday night, the YMCA hosted its Hall of Fame Celebration at Martindale Country Club, where four were honored.

Celebrated at the event were Col. James G. Bouchles, Pauline Bourgoin, Richard G. Kendall and Malcolm Philbrook.

Bouchles and Kendall were honored posthumously. They died in 2015 and 2013, respectively.

A businessman and former co-owner of Bee & Gee Sports, Bouchles served 27 years on the Y board of directors, where he took a leadership role in fundraising. Kendall served two terms as president of the Y board and was recognized as Auburn’s Citizen of the Year in 1986.

Bourgoin, of Auburn, has been a Y member since 1947 and has taught youth swim lessons for more than 60 years. With the motto “No child should drown,” she has helped thousands of local children and families be safer in the water.

Philbrook, also of Auburn, is a retired lawyer and one of the co-founders of Maine Hoop Camp. His passion for basketball extended to the Y’s youth sports and historic Biddy Basketball program, which is in its 50th year.