Thursday evening, Jan. 23, Minister Tilda Caudle was honored as the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Service Award recipient for her work in her church and her community. She is on the board of the Northeast Community Coalition and very active in her church.
Jaiden Lewis, a senior at Wake Forest High School, will receive the $500 scholarship provided by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee.
A number of students were honored for their art, creative performances and writing in the annual contest sponsored by the committee. Erik Harkey, a fourth-grader at Rolesville Elementary took first place for art, and Laurel Gordon, a fifth-grader at Heritage Elementary, placed second. Tamryn LeGrant, a junior at Heritage High, was the high school winner.
There were three high school winners for creative performance: Noella Fernandez, in the 11th grade at Rolesville High took first place; Alease DeNoia, a tenth-grader at Heritage High was second; and Karizma Clark, an 11th grader at Rolesville High, placed third.
In the writing contest, Emerson Mistretta, a fifth-grader at Heritage Elementary was the only elementary school winner. Moiya Sharpe, a sixth-grader at Rolesville Middle, was first and Makayla Holder, a seventh-grader at Wake Forest Middle was second in the middle school contest.
Jaiden Lewis, a senior at Wake Forest High, took first place for high school students, with Melchior Ellis Jr., also a senior at Wake Forest High, took second place, while Yasmine Abdel-Rahman, a freshman at Heritage High, was third.
All the student winners were awarded a certificate and cash prizes.
The keynote speaker was the Rev. Dr. Walter R. Strickland II, an associate vice president for diversity and an assistant professor of theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Mayor Vivian Jones brought greetings. A singer-guitarist from Life Church provided a song. The Community Combined Choir and those present joined in “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
The evening began at 6 p.m. with a light community meal with food provided by BJ’s of Raleigh, Cary and Garner and Chick-fil-A.
Members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority welcomed people as they arrived.
James Grant, celebration committee chairman, spoke briefly about the upcoming Civil Rights Freedom Trail trip for students and chaperones and urged support.
The evening ended with the singing of “We Shall Overcome.”
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