Centralina sat down with 2022 Aging in Action Award Winner, Anna Rice, to learn more about her extensive tenure with Iredell Council on Aging and her passion for working with older adults in her community.

Senior Community Connections SCC is a nonprofit organization that helps older adults remain independent in their homes and actively engaged in the community. This Davidson-based organization was recognized in 2022 for its work in the aging field, receiving the 2021 Centralina Region of Excellence ‘Aging in Action’ Award.

Lake Norman Economic Development is a nonprofit focused on increasing economic outcomes in the community by addressing workforce gaps. In 2022, it received the 2021 Cross Community Collaboration Award (small community) for its Journey 360 program and virtual speed networking events that were developed to address workforce trends and provide high school students with educational opportunities.

The 2021 Region of Excellence award for Cross-Community Collaboration in a large community was awarded to Rowan County for the projects planned and executed through the Rowan Education Collaborative. This initiative is the first of its kind in the area, bringing government and education leaders from across the county together to increase local educational attainment and expand job opportunities for residents.

In March 2022, Centralina awarded the Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) Electric Vehicle (EV) Bus Fleet the Clean Cities Award. The CLT EV Bus Fleet provides sustainable solutions to employees, tenants, passengers, the local community and region.

In March 2022, Centralina awarded the Neighborhood C.A.R.E. Center (NCC) the Improving Quality of Life award at our annual Region of Excellence Awards. The NCC is a non-profit organization headquartered in Cornelius that aims to provide immediate and long-term aid to neighbors through relational and faith-based programs in a hope-filled environment. We interviewed Executive Director Manny Rosado and Communications Manager MaeLynn Joyner to learn more about challenges the organization faced and how they overcame obstacles.

This year our region lost a tremendous volunteer who served as a dedicated volunteer with Centralina Area Agency on Aging for more than 11 years. Shirley Wiggins was the recipient of the Centralina Region of Excellence Aging in Action award for her dedicated advocacy work for seniors living in the Gaston County area.

In May 2021, Centralina Regional Council held its annual Region of Excellence Awards ceremony to recognize important achievements in the areas of cross-community collaboration, local government innovation, leadership and improvements to quality of life, clean fuels and older adult advocacy. The Clean Cities Award was presented to the Charlotte Department of Transportation for implementing fleet improvements as part of the Strategic Energy Action Plan.

What began as a small 100th anniversary event celebrating Cheerwine’s 1917 beginning in Salisbury has evolved through the years into the annual Cheerwine Festival. Within the past three years, the springtime festival has welcomed over 100,000 visitors, provided business opportunities for regional sponsors such as food, beer, arts and crafts vendors and brought a strong day of sales for downtown Salisbury merchants. Cheerwine, the event partner, also ties the festival to a charitable-giving opportunity for non-profit organizations in Rowan County. But when life began to shift due to COVID-19 after the first of 2020, festival planners were faced with a big decision: cancel the beloved festival or adapt to the circumstances.