Honorees are focused on the well-being of children in the Roanoke Region
Children’s Trust Roanoke Valley has announced the nine exceptional people that will be the honored recipients of the prestigious Children’s Trust Golden Halo Award. The winners—six from the Roanoke Valley and three from the New River Valley—will be recognized at the annual Golden Halo Award event scheduled for Friday, Apr. 22, 2016 at the Jefferson Center.
The group also announced that in memory of their dear friend and supporter, the late Clarine Spetzler, their Guardian Angel Award will renamed the Clarine Spetzler Guardian Angel Award.
Clarine was a devoted CASA and a member of the Board of Directors for many years. She was instrumental in the birth of Children’s Trust merging CASA and the Children’s Advocacy Center. The 2016 Clarine Spetzler Guardian Angel Award will be awarded to the WDBJ7 News Team that produced “Childhood Lost.”
The Golden Halo Awards were created in 2008 to recognize and honor outstanding contributions to the cause of child abuse prevention, intervention and advocacy in the Roanoke Valley. Honorees distinguish themselves in the following categories: Department of Social Services, CASA Volunteer, Educator, Foster Parent, Law Enforcement, Legal/Judicial, Medical Professional, and Mental Health Professional. Each award recipient is nominated by a Roanoke Valley community member and this year’s Golden Halo Award honorees are:
Department of Social Services – Martha Harmon, Roanoke City Department of Social Services
CASA Volunteer – Dodi Lawson 2
Educator – Lisa Denny, Greenvale School
Foster Parents – Jim and Lisa Agnes, HART/NRV Community Services/DePaul Family Services
Law Enforcement – Detective Carla Cross, Radford City Police Department
Legal/Judicial – Alice Ekirch, Roanoke City Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office
Medical Professional – Dr. Alice Ackerman, Carilion Children’s Hospital
Mental Health Professional – Jennifer Thomas, LCSW
The Clarine Spetzler Guardian Angel – WDBJ7, Childhood Lost News Team
“We’re in our ninth year of recognizing an outstanding group of people as Golden Halo award winners,” said Janice Dinkins-Davidson, Executive Director for Children’s Trust. “This group of remarkable individuals and their dedication to the prevention of child abuse is exceptional. They join our past winners, staff and volunteers in our mission. We are thankful for all they have done and look forward to their ongoing support and efforts on behalf of Children’s Trust.”
Event details: Golden Halo Awards April 22, 2016. 12:00 noon – 1:30 PM. The Jefferson Center, 541 Luck Avenue, Roanoke, VA 24018. Tickets: $30 pp; includes lunch and admission to the awards ceremony. Guest Speaker: Jen Lilley, Roanoke native, children’s advocate, and actress. To purchase tickets – Online at www.roact.org or call 540-344-3579, ext. 17. Sponsorship Opportunities: Available for Advocate, Champion and Protector. For more information about Children’s Trust Roanoke Valley, visit www.roact.org .
