Every year, the opportunity to honor one of your fellow citizens presents itself, and we hope many Suffolkians will avail themselves of this opportunity this year.

Nominations are currently being accepted for the Suffolk First Citizen Award, and a strong class of nominees, we are certain, will lead to an excellent honoree.

Each year, the Suffolk and North Suffolk Rotary clubs get together to celebrate the work done to better this community by one person who lives in the city. The award has been given each year since 1956, except for a hiatus from 1999 to 2002, to an outstanding individual who best exemplifies the spirit of citizenship and who has shown significant leadership through his or her time, talents and efforts in order to make Suffolk a better place to live.

The Suffolk club took responsibility for the award from the now-defunct Cosmopolitan Club after the hiatus, and it has shared that responsibility with the North Suffolk club for the past few years.

“We are seeking nominations in the community, because we know there’s a lot of people who do a lot of good deeds, and it’s great for people to be able to step up and nominate them,” Suffolk Rotary Club President Susan Blair said last week. “It’s always such an honor to be recognized for that type of thing.”

Someone you know may well deserve this honor. Don’t miss this chance to help them get the recognition they deserve. The best part of this event is that it helps support nonprofit organizations throughout Suffolk.

Nominees must be residents of Suffolk, and nominations must be postmarked by July 26. Nomination forms can be found on the Suffolk Rotary Club website at www.suffolkrotary.org. Attach letters of endorsement to the application.

When complete, mail to Suffolk Rotary Club, c/o First Citizen, P.O. Box 1972, Suffolk, VA 23439-1972.

The reception honoring the recipient will be held Sept. 26 at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts.
Sponsors are needed for the event, and those hoping to attend should make reservations in advance. Both can be done at www.suffolkrotary.org.