Honorees Receive Awards in State Capitol Ceremony
By Ford Porter, nc.gov
This week, Governor Roy Cooper presented Medallion Awards for Volunteer Service to honorees at the State Capitol in Raleigh.
“Volunteerism teaches us all that we need to know about being good neighbors and better citizens,” Gov. Cooper said. “Volunteers are the best of us, and those of you being honored today have gone above and beyond.”
Gov. Cooper issued 22 Medallion Awards in 14 categories to the following recipients:
Animal Volunteer Category
- Tyra Scroggins, Cause N Dog Rescue Service
Disaster Volunteer Category
- Judge Doug Sasser, Hallsboro Fire Department
- Emmett Smith, Dare County Emergency Management
Faith-Based Volunteer Category
- Asbury United Methodist Church and Pastor Ken Spencer, Asbury Academy
- Mike Sweeney, Wheels4Hope
Family Volunteers Category
- Ruth and Harold Shuford, Exodus Homes
Group or Team Volunteers Category
- Mike’s Garage Band, Brunswick County charities
- North Carolina Azalea Festival
Individual Volunteer Category
- Cindy Adkins, Hospice and Palliative Care of Iredell
- Christopher Driver, Sampson County Diaper Bank
Lifetime Achievement Category
- Samuel Smith, Haywood County Fairgrounds
- Becky Cross, McDowell Endowment
Mentor Volunteer Category
- Kamilah Davis, Girl Scouts in NC Coastal Pines Council
- Nazair Jones, Made Men Mentoring
National Service Volunteer Category
- Marianela Melendez, Burlington Housing Authority
NC Heritage Volunteer Category
- Pender County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Association
- Bob Wilson, Yancey History Association
Senior Volunteer Category
- Kay Abee, SeniorCorps Foster Grandparent Program
- Lee Smith, Novant Forsyth Medical Center and Wake Forest Baptist Children’s Hospital
Veteran and Military Families Volunteer Category
- Charles Hill, Horsepower Therapeutic Learning Center
Youth Volunteer Category
- Kenneth Xu, Student Environmental Education Coalition
Director of Volunteers Category
- Becky Currin, Flat River Baptist Association
The Governor’s Medallion Award for Volunteer Service was founded by the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service in 2006. The award recognizes the top 20 to 25 volunteers in the state each year.
Medallion Award recipients are nominated at the county level then evaluated by a panel of community service leaders from across the state. Medallion Award recipients are honored at an annual recognition ceremony, where they receive a medallion signifying their accomplishments and service to the community. Award selections are based on the nominee’s volunteer efforts and commitment of time, accomplishments, community impact and enhancement of the lives of others.
Information on volunteer opportunities is available through the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, an agency within the Office of the Governor that promotes community service and volunteering as a means of problem solving across North Carolina.
