The
Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce annually recognizes the “Citizen of the
Year.” It was my honor to present the
award to Vinnon Williams, one of the most deserving men I know. Vinnon has been a special friend since we
arrived in Lexington in 1990. Here are
the remarks I made at the Chamber Banquet on Tuesday night.
(Vinnon did
not have a clue that he was being recognized!)
It is an honor to
stand here tonight to recognize a dedicated community servant, a man who has
made a made a qualitative difference in Lexington, a man who believes that
planning for the future involves investing in the lives of children and young
people. Most people call him by his
first name, many former students still call him “Coach.” I call him my good friend.
A former educator
and coach, he spent 21 years working with young people in the classroom and on
the athletic field and court. He changed
professions, but he never changed his commitment to children as he works now to
make a positive difference in the lives of the poorest and most deserving
children in our county.
Let’s step back
in time 32 years ago, to 1983, when our honoree is attending his SS class at
First Baptist Church. The focus of the
lesson that day was feeding the hungry, caring for the needy, providing shelter
for the homeless. The discussion wasn’t
whether those were things we should do or not, but it centered around how all
we usually do is talk about it. The one
we honor tonight led his class to not just talk the talk but walk the walk as
they started the homeless shelter—literally in their SS classroom that had an
outside door. The Homeless shelter later
became Crisis Ministry of Davidson County.
The nomination
for Citizen of the Year, which came from a number of influential people, is
primarily due to the work, the labor of love, that our honoree has tirelessly
dedicated himself to in recent years.
The Lexington Kiwanis
Club founded the Kiddie Kamp in 1928.
For almost 90 years now, this camp has provided a positive, happy, safe,
and remarkable summer camp experience for children in this county whose
families could not afford a camp, a beach trip, or a summer vacation. The children, who are selected by the
Department of Social Services, often come from unfortunate home situations
where they are not encouraged, not valued, and sometimes abused. These children are desperate for any type of
encouragement and happiness. They need a
safe place, where they can have good food to eat, and where they are loved and
valued. Kamp Kiwanis provides this experience, but it is an expensive endeavor.
In 1946 the
Kiwanis Club received approval from the Davidson County Commissioners to
operate the annual county fair with the revenue providing for the Kiddie
Kamp. In the almost 70 years of
operation, the county fair has had only four managers. When Jaybird McCrary retired, Vinnon Williams
became the fair manager, which is his labor of love for the children of this
community.
Jim Nance
wrote: As Fair Manager, Vinnon is
totally responsible for one of the largest public undertakings in our
community. His managerial gifts and his
love for and commitment to Davidson County have enabled him to make this
project a continuing success even in trying and evolving times.
Dan Smith says,
“Vinnon has worked selflessly over many years to bring the Davidson County Fair
to fruition.”
Jimmy
Holshouser: “Everyone in the Kiwanis
Club knows that our mission is to help children and Vinnon has taken this on as
a personal challenge to see the fair grow and prosper to continue this
community service to deserving youngsters in our community”
Wayne Alley, who
works with Vinnon, tells how Vinnon is working on the fair all year long,
constantly on the phone. The week of the
fair, Wayne says “He will spend over 100 hours at the fairgrounds. It is one heck of a job but he does it gladly
because he knows the club’s purpose is to send 180 needy children to camp in
the summer.
Jim Tate
wrote: “He is a good example of a person
with a positive attitude, a heart for giving and one who is a leader and mentor
to others.”
And Gene Klump
summed it all up when he wrote: “His
efforts literally changes the lives of many underprivileged children in
Davidson County through Kamp Kiwanis”
His reputation
and influence as fair manager led to his election last year as the President of
the North Carolina Agricultural Fair Association. Vinnon is also on the board of American
Legion Baseball and volunteers each summer at the ballpark. There is a long list of other accomplishments,
but it is time for us to recognize a man who is most deserving of this
prestigious honor. Vinnon’s wife Gloria,
has come in, and his son Chad, and his wife Brooke, and their sons Anden and Braden.
(At this point
Vinnon received a standing ovation!)
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