HandsOn Jacksonville honors volunteers

Celebrate Good Awards Dinner held Monday evening

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – HandsOn Jacksonville is celebrating 44 years of training people and connecting them to service in the community. 

To mark the anniversary, the nonprofit honored volunteers at the Celebrate Good Awards Dinner on Monday evening. 

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There were many reasons to celebrate Monday night, including the fact that Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry will proclaim April 2017 as Volunteer Appreciation Month on Thursday. 

The state of Florida also takes notice of volunteers during the month and during National Volunteer Week, which was created in 1974 by President Richard Nixon's administration. 

Monday's dinner was held at the Jessie Ball duPont Center downtown, where so many nonprofits are headquartered. The event pointed to remarkable individuals and organizations -- examples of the hard and heartwarming work hundreds of thousands of people do in the community. 

News4Jax asked Gen. Mike Fleming, board president of HandsOn Jacksonville, about his favorite part of the night. 

"I think it's when we honor the young people," Fleming said. "It's amazing what they're able to do at their age and, when I was that young, I don't know, I just wanted to find my way to high school. And these young men and women do so much for the community."

Here are the Celebrate Good award winners:

  • Tillie Kidd Fowler Spirit of Service Award: Clancy and Vivian Hitchcock
  • HandsOn Youth in Action Award: Drew Adams
  • HandsOn Young at Heart Award: Tom Tinsley
  • HandsOn Willing & Able Award: Marcia Baygents
  • HandsOn Service in Uniform Award: Thomas Gainey
  • HandsOn Mentoring Award: Tonya Thomas
  • HandsOn Literacy Award: Jamere Hill
  • HandsOn Hunger Award: The Family Promise organization
  • HandsOn Health Award: Gene and Shirley Baker
  • HandsOn Faith Award: Beth Touchton
  • HandsOn Earth Award: Mary Mott
  • HandsOn Community Award: Dr. Joy Hervey and the Arlington 20/20 organization
  • HandsOn Business Award: Paul Gruenther
  • HandsOn Art of Caring Award: Brenda Barnes
  • Bernard V. Gregory Servant Award: Sherry Magill
  • Edward R. Hayes Unity in Action Award: J.F. Bryan

For more on each of the winners, visit HandsOn Jacksonville's Facebook page


About the Author:

Kent Justice co-anchors News4Jax's 5 p.m., 10 and 11 p.m. newscasts weeknights and reports on government and politics. He also hosts "This Week in Jacksonville," Channel 4's hot topics and politics public affairs show each Sunday morning at 9 a.m.