Christiansburg, VA/ NRV Leading Lights is actively seeking Volunteer Award nominations from Montgomery County.
Community NRV Leading Lights present at 2018 banquet: FR, L-to-R: Lynn Brammer, Kelly McPherson, Christie Heslip, Bonnie Hawks, Janne Mathes, Ann Raridon, Terri Welch. BR, L-to-R: Raymond Lyons Jr., Matt Adamo, Sid Bingley, John Galbraith, Stephanie Palmer, Bill Roth.
Winners in recent years from Montgomery County were John Galbraith, Janne Mathes, Scott & Mendy Sink, Barnett Carr (Community); Kyndal Stakes, Sydney Curtis, Olivia Obertello (College/VA Tech); Nela Hudait, Megan Telarek (High School); and Tom Sherman (Lifetime Achievement). The website is open to accept nominations for the eleventh annual awards and will be accepted until midnight, March 4, 2019. The nomination form is only online at www.leadinglightsnrv.org. Early nominations are encouraged.
Persons who have been nominated before but not selected as a Distinguished Recipient may be nominated again. Individuals and organizations are highly encouraged to submit nominations for outstanding New River Valley volunteers they know or volunteer with. Administrators, teachers, guidance counselors, club sponsors, and youth mentors are asked to nominate young people for the high school and college awards. (Groups and organizations cannot be nominated for awards.)
Leading Lights from 2018 were engaged in diverse volunteer activities across the New River Valley. Collectively they spent thousands of hours over their lifetimes volunteering with clothing banks, rescue and disaster relief teams, as youth mentors, managing holiday programs, overseeing weekend ‘food backpack’ programs, helping at local food kitchens, serving with civic groups, community building, and actually more than a hundred other noble local charitable activities and programs. Leading Lights is focused on the impact of a volunteer’s leadership and example to others.
Awards are given in three categories: Community (seven awards), high school (two awards), and college (two awards). In the community award category, there is an award reserved for a volunteer in each county/city of the New River Valley (Floyd County, Giles County, Pulaski County, Radford City), and two in Montgomery County (due to population size), and one across the whole NRV to recognize Lifetime Volunteer Achievement. Nominees must be current residents of the New River Valley or if being nominated for a student category award, they must be currently enrolled in a school/college in the New River Valley. Award winners in each category will be selected on the following criteria:
➢ Strong community involvement
➢ Demonstrated lifestyle of dedicated, continuous, long-term involvement to the community
➢ Proven leadership
➢ Creativity in initiating and implementing projects that lead to a better quality of life
NRV Leading Lights recognizes volunteers in the New River Valley each year who are making community-changing impacts culminating in an annual celebratory banquet slated for April 11, 2019. It honors selected Distinguished Recipients by making a monetary donation to the non-profit of their choice and honoring all recipients at this prestigious event.
Call (540) 381-2066 or email leadinglightsnrv@gmail.com if more information is needed. Area non-profit organizations collaborate with the Virginia Tech German Club Alumni Foundation (GCAF) for the Annual “Leading Lights: Shining a light on neighbors helping neighbors” recognition awards for volunteers in our community.