Town of Cary
Hometown Spirit Award Nomination Instructions

2011 nominations accepted from August 1, 2011 through 5 p.m. on September 9, 2011

General Criteria

• Awarded annually to one Cary resident
• Nominees must be Cary residents (Town employees, current and former elected officials and individuals in an official race for an elected position, and memorial nominations in honor of deceased residents are not eligible)
• Nominators must be Cary residents
• Nominees must be 21 years of age and older
• Nominees must demonstrate leadership and integrity
• Nominees must be respected by their peers
• An individual may only receive this award once

And at least one of the following pertains to the Nominee:

Specific Criteria for Nominees (with examples of each for illustrative purposes)

• Helps out neighbors and fellow Cary residents
• e.g., starts a program where residents can volunteer to help each other with home repairs or simply goes beyond the call of duty assisting other residents
• Demonstrates hospitality
• e.g., welcomes new residents and visitors, helps them get to know the Town and its small-town culture and helps them adjust to a new environment; or simply a resident who exhibits “Southern” or “Cary” hospitality in an ongoing or extraordinary manner
• Promotes and preserves traditional American past-times
• e.g., brings residents together as a neighborhood or community in traditional ways by organizing or serving as a key volunteer for such events as a Founder’s Day celebration, a heritage music event, hayrides, ice cream socials, picnics, bandstand events, etc.
• Shows a concern for preservation and works to preserve traditions and the small-town atmosphere in the community
• e.g., works to preserve historical Cary documents, structures or events; or takes a leadership role to make a neighborhood or the community more family friendly
• Promotes entrepreneurship through supporting locally owned business
• e.g., starts a local currency program that rewards residents for shopping locally
• Promotes a sense of community in their neighborhood and all of Cary
• e.g., initiates fun, family friendly activities in his/her neighborhood or the community where residents have the chance to meet and interact with one another
• Demonstrates patriotism through promotion and preservation of the country's symbols and dedication to the U.S. military, past and present
• e.g., organizes or is a key volunteer for a formal event to honor our veterans or current military members
• Serves the community through business
• e.g., a business owner who goes above and beyond his/her role to support and provide a service to the community in an hospitable manner

Process

• Nominations are accepted from August 1 through 5 p.m. on September 9, 2011.
• In October the Town Clerk invites individuals to a meeting to select one award winner (examples of people who might be invited to this meeting include the following or any combination thereof: board/commission chairs or members; department directors; past award winners; other staff and Cary residents involved with other Town or community award programs; etc.). Town Council members are not involved in the selection process.

Award/Recognition

All nominees and nominators will be invited to attend a reception in honor of all nominees on November 17, 2011 from 5-6:15 p.m. in the lobby area of Cary Town Hall (316 N. Academy St.). Nominees are encouraged to invite their families and friends. Past award winners will also be invited. The mayor and council members will present all nominees with a recognition certificate at the reception. Immediately following the reception, everyone is invited to the 6:30 p.m. Cary Town Council meeting where the mayor will again recognize all nominees. The prior year’s award winner and the mayor will jointly announce the 2011 winner and present the winner with a plaque from the Town.

All nominees will be recognized with a write-up on the Town’s Web site.

Photos of the most recent winner with an excerpt from nomination form will be displayed in a designated area at Town Hall.

Nomination Submission Instructions

Nominations will be accepted on the official application form (available in HTML and PDF) from August 1, 2011 through 5 p.m. on September 9, 2011. Nominations received after the deadline will not be considered. Submit nominations to Cary Town Clerk Sue Rowland by any of the following delivery methods:

• E-mail: sue.rowland@townofcary.org
• Fax: (919) 460-4910
• Mail: Town Clerk, Town of Cary, P.O. Box 8005, Cary, NC 27512-8005

The Town Clerk will acknowledge receipt of all nominations.

Questions? Contact Sue Rowland, Town Clerk, at sue.rowland@townofcary.org or  (919) 460-4941.