Mount Olive Chamber honors 10 for community service
By Josh Ellerbrock
Published in News on February 10, 2013 1:50 AM
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News-Argus/TROY HERRING
Mount Olive Chamber President Tyler Barwick Graham was honored with the Distinguished Service Award. She has worked as a volunteer with the Northeast Original Free Will Baptist Church and Habitat for Humanity and is also a member of the building committee for the Steele Memorial Library.
Mount Olive Chamber President Tyler Barwick Graham had no idea the banquet she helped organize would also be the place where she was honored for her years of service to the community.
Mrs. Barwick Graham was awarded the Distinguished Service Award during the Seventh Annual Membership Banquet and Awards Ceremony hosted by the Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce and the Mount Olive Jaycees, which was held Thursday night at the Lois K. Murphy Regional Center at Mount Olive College.
"Who they told me was going to win was not who won. I don't feel like I deserve it, but it's an honor," she said.
The award did reveal one mystery of the night.
"Now I know why I had so many volunteers to go get the plaques," she said.
Past recipients of the award include Milton Lownes, Burkette Raper, Bill Bryan and Mayor Ray McDonald Sr.
The Chamber honored nine other individuals and organizations for their service to the community.
Current Commissioner Gene Lee received the Outstanding Senior Citizen Award presented by past winner Cecil Columbus of the Lions Club.
Mollianne Kennedy received the Outstanding Teenager Award presented by Adam Livengood.
Southern Bank Chief Executive Officer Grey Morgan received the Outstanding Boss Award presented by Coy Brock of the Mount Olive Rotary.
William Dexter Jackson II received the Outstanding Young Farmer Award presented by Jimmy Martin.
Elizabeth D. Moore received the Outstanding Young Educator Award presented by Lynn Williams of the Chamber.
George Kornegay received the Ruff Huggins Lifetime Community Service Award presented by Ray McDonald Sr.
The Mount Olive First Pentecostal Holiness Church received the Chamber Member of the Year Award presented by Mrs. Barwick Graham.
Ernest Taylor received the Lillian B. Langley Award also presented by Mrs. Barwick Graham.
Lynne Fulghum received the Best New Merchandise Award for her help in organizing the mother-daughter tea party and creating a "Pickle Me Pink" tea towel. The award was presented by N.C. Pickle Festival Chair Julie Beck.
The Chamber also outlined some of its future events for the coming year including the Cabin Fever Golf Tournament scheduled for March 1, the Chick-fil-A Leadercast scheduled for May 10 and the N.C. Pickle Festival scheduled for the last weekend in April.
Encore Entertainment, a Goldsboro singing group, served as entertainment for the night.