The Chronicle rolls out the red carpet
More than 1,000 attend 34th Annual Community Service Awards
The city’s oldest and most respected community newspaper rolled out the red carpet and invited more that 1,000 people from all walks of life to come together and celebrate those in our community who go the extra mile to make a difference during The Chronicle’s Annual Community Service Awards held on the campus of Winston-Salem State University.
For more than 30 years The Chronicle has held the Community Service Awards to celebrate individuals and organizations in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County who go above and beyond the normal call of duty to lend a helping hand to others and uplift the community. Instead of the traditional banquet style event with several award presentations, this year the ceremony took on the feel of the award ceremonies you see on TV. This year, we also adopted a public voting process to decide the winner. More than 4,000 individuals voted online last month by visiting The Chronicle’s Facebook page.
The event, hosted by Busta Brown, also featured several performances. Performers included: CurvyShe and CurvyHe, JCB Dance, LB The Poet, Dionn Ownens & Renaissance, comedian Debra Terry and the N.C. Black Repertory Company.
“Quote Taylor why on the change?”
Here’s a list of the categories, nominees and winners. Winners in each category are marked with **.
Youth of the Year
Shi Belcher
**Chef J’Avia Carter-Blue
Imani and Nia Joins
Aubrianna Lash
Kyndall Williams
Kymora Wright-Carter (Kymora’s Kookies)
Organization of the Year
**Hoops 4 L.Y.F.E
Lead Girls NC
Masons
Neighbors for Better Neighborhoods
Community Service Awards
Corey McCann
**Effrainguan Muhammad
Arleatha Patterson
Alvin Robinson
Fine Arts Award
**Larry Barron Jr. (LB The Poet)
Ellen Leak-Forbes (DJ Diamond)
Lynn Rhoades
Bobby Roebuck
The Chronicle Innovation Award
**IFB Solutions
Inmar
Sonoco
Wake Forest Innovation Quarter
Senior of the Year
Sarah Brooks
**Dr. Althea Taylor-Jones
Claudette Turner
Chuck Vestal
Church of the Year
**First Waughtown Baptist Church
Mt. Zion Baptist Church
New Jerusalem Baptist Church
Phillips Chapel Baptist Church
Woman of the Year
Pastor Tembila Covington
Melissa Harris-Perry
**Miranda Jones
Cheryl Lindsay
Man of the Year
Rev. Alvin Carlisle
Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough
**Reginald McCaskill
Evan Raleigh
After accepting her award for Youth of the Year, Chef J’Avia Carter said she was hoping she would win but she thought even if she didn’t, the exposure would be good for her candle business, which is located Marketplace Mall.
“It feels really, really good,” Carter said with a big smile.
Dr. Dennis Bishop, pastor of First Waughtown Baptist Church, said he was grateful to just be nominated for Church of the Year. He said he received the award on behalf of not only his congregation, but every church throughout the city.
“I walked across that stage and accepted this award on behalf of all the pastors and churches that were not only nominated, but throughout this city,” said Bishop. He continued, “We are family because we a members of the body of Christ.”
The Paulette Lewis-Moore and Carl H. Russell Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to City Council Member Denise “D.D.” Adams and Superior Court Judge Logan Todd Burke. Attorney Kerry Sigler and Cedric Russell received Special Recognition Awards. City native and cancer survivor Tanisha Gist was presented the “I’m A Survivor” award.”
While backstage, Ken Edwards, IFB Solutions vice president of consolidated logistics, said, “It’s amazing. We work every day to create jobs for people who otherwise wouldn’t have a job.
“To see someone recognize that just means the world to us. It just gives us the fuel to do some more.”
Following the event, nominees and sponsors gathered for a reception on the top floor of the K. R. Williams Auditorium.
Sponsors for the event were: the City of Winston-Salem, Winston-Salem Transit Authority, Wells Fargo, Wake Forest Baptist Health, Reynolds American Inc., Winston-Salem State University, HanesBrands Inc., Food Lion, Triad Minority Business Expo, Russell Funeral Home, Dikie The Geek Computer & Printing Services, Mansion House of Designs, The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, BB&T, and Steel Impressions Entertainment.
