$1,000 honorarium to be awarded for outstanding international community service

The Greater Hickory International Council (GHIC) is proud to announce its official opening of their submission period for the Rudy Wright International Service Award, which honors the legacy and international contributions made to our communities by the late former Mayor Rudy Wright. The purpose of this award is to recognize an individual or organization that is based within the 4-county Greater Hickory Metro Region (Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba counties) and has made an outstanding contribution of goodwill, service, cultural awareness, tolerance, and/or global connectedness to their local community.

The submission period for receiving applications will run now through March 31, 2024. Requirements will include an essay outlining contributions made by the applicant(s) along with one international project reference and a brief video introduction of the applicant and the project to the GHIC grant committee. The committee is comprised of members of the council supported by the late former mayor’s wife, Donna Wright. The individual or group applicant chosen will receive a $1,000 grant and a plaque commemorating their accomplishment.

Last year’s award was the first of its kind and was presented to Joseph Keller Thomas V. Joseph graciously volunteers his time and talents working with defendants inside the Teen Court, which is a program offered through the Conflict Resolution Center. He represents teens of different cultural backgrounds and ethnicities on charges such as illegal possession of substances, affrays, and property damage. Cultural awareness is a key component of his job as the defendants and the jury often come from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures so it’s important to educate them of these differences in order to create a more productive sentencing that will help these teens serve their time, while proactively growing and learning from their experience.

For more detailed information and an online application, visit the award’s dedicated landing page at https:// hickoryinternationalcouncil. com/rudy-wright-international-service-award/. If you would like to support the selection committee, please contact Tracey Trimble, GHIC BOD Advisor and committee chair at tracey@hickoryic. com or 704-502-5932.

The mission of the Greater Hickory International Council (GHIC) is to promote goodwill, cultural awareness, cooperation, education, and mutual respect through partnerships and internationally focused community events. If you are interested in joining GHIC, please contact Hani Nassar at hani@ hickoryic.com. Visit www. hickoryinternationalcouncil. com for more information on all upcoming events and activities in 2023 and a list of international resources available in our 4-county communities.