Willmar’s 47 team members jumped to their feet, clapped their hands and trotted to the stage in the big ballroom at Atlanta’s Marriott Marquis Hotel where 10 cities out of 30 finalists were judged the best for addressing critical social problems.

Willmar was the sixth winner to be announced “in no particular order’’ by Dorothy Ridings, forewoman of the panel of nine judges from professions and associations across the United States, including a judge from Minnesota.

The panel’s decisions were based on reading historical background and on oral presentations given Thursday and Friday by the cities. The presentations outlined projects that addressed the needs of the cities.

Willmar’s three projects were the West Central Integration Collaborative, Rice Memorial Hospital and Ridgewater College Model for Workforce Development in Rural Healthcare, and the Willmar Public Schools’ Child Guide Program.

Without initially identifying each winner Saturday night, Ridings briefly described each project. By the time Ridings was describing the third project, winning team members had usually figured out who they were, but the announcement of the name was usually drowned out by celebrating.

“This community believes that diversity is one of its greatest assets,’’ she said.

“This community developed innovative programming to meet special needs of students,’’ she continued.

“This community collaborated to continually develop a skilled work force in the field of health care,’’ said Ridings. “The All-America City: Willmar, Minnesota.’’

Mayor Les Heitke, speaking on stage with the team standing behind him, said, “There are over 18,000 cities, towns and villages across this great United States. And when we heard that we were one of the 30 finalists, we were overwhelmed. But to receive this award as one of the 10 winners is simply awesome and unbelievable. I can only say, yah you betcha.’’

Later, students Megan Fixsen and Paul Williams said they were happy to be among 16 young people on the team.

“We got to know more about Willmar, and we just grew as a community,’’ said Fixsen. “We are all just really thankful that they had this opportunity for youth. Once we got here and we won this award, we felt so connected and just felt so great to be part of this opportunity.’’

Williams said he and Fixsen fell into the team’s commitment.

“We worked with leaders and learned on our own more about what’s going on in our community,’’ he said. “Working with such great people in our community really helps you just feel a better sense of pride and a better sense of unity in it.’’

Other cities in the top 10 were Seward, Alaska; Canoga Park, Calif.; Lauderhill, Fla.; Pompano Beach, Fla.; Port Huron, Mich.; Carrollton, Mo.; Georgetown County, S.C.; Orangeburg County, S.C.; and Winchester, Va.

National Civic League President Christopher Gates said all 30 cities are tackling a variety of challenges such as youth, education, poverty, affordable housing and race relations in collaboration with citizens, businesses, local government and nonprofit organizations.

“That’s what this award is all about -- showing communities across America how to work together to overcome obstacles and achieve tangible results,’’ he said.

According to National Civic League spokesman Gary Chandler, award-winning cities have realized benefits such as national recognition, enhanced community pride, additional partnerships, and economic benefits such as new grants, improved bond ratings and other investment.

As an economic development salesman, Steve Renquist said he now has another promotional tool. In an interview, Renquist, director of the Willmar and Kandiyohi County Economic Development Commission, said the award is a wonderful opportunity.

“We’re trying to fill our technical center (at the Willmar Regional Treatment Center campus), and it won’t be long we’re going to have an airport and industrial park,’’ he said. “We’ve got a downtown we’re trying to revitalize, and for people that don’t know Willmar, we’re making a real statement to be able to say that there were 10 communities in the entire country and we were one of them to win this award.’’

The judge from Minnesota, Curt Johnson, a writer with The Citistates Group and former chairman of the Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities, said the judges look for a combination of things.

“Did the people in this community do the things that needed to be done (and did they) line up with the core challenges that they registered for their community,’’ he said. “Do they have some sense of the impact of what they did; did they try to measure in any way how do we know it made any difference at all.’’

He said three to five cities obviously did better than the others. Selecting the remaining winners is more difficult.

“You’re really struggling all afternoon to try to figure out which communities maybe did a little bit better than the others,’’ he said. “The decision is consensus. Willmar was in the strong consensus category.’’

Johnson said he liked having a winner from Minnesota, but he didn’t influence the decision. A screening committee investigates applicants to make sure the results they cite are genuine.

“You absolutely earned it,’’ he said in an interview. “Nobody gets to this point unless the story looks like it’s real. We’ve got to do it ourselves through our own initiative. All along the way the things you were doing were the community taking charge of its own destiny and doing it with confidence and, in your case, with considerable sophistication.’’

Heitke and city administrator Michael Schmit attended a Civic League media and marketing briefing Sunday morning before returning to Willmar.