Celebrating the Black community in Chatham-Kent, the inaugural Black Excellence Awards is scheduled to take place on February 10 at the Retro Suites Hotel.
The Black Excellence Awards & Gala had an introductory press conference at Sons of Kent Brewery on Friday.
Doug Robbins, who is co-chair of the awards gala along with Shannon Prince and Michelle Robbins, said it’s important to celebrate the area’s Black culture and community, as well as the greater community.
“It gives us a platform and opportunity to stop and celebrate the achievements of others,” Robbins said.
The awards gala is well-timed, as February is Black History Month. The awards will shine a spotlight on those making a difference in Chatham-Kent.
The awards will celebrate the black community and the greater community in the following categories; Female of the year, Male of the year, Youth of the year, Entrepreneur of the year, Agriculturalist of the year, and Citizen of the year.
Nominations open online on Monday, December 18 and run until January 10. Voting takes place online from January 16 to February 1.
At the gala, the Black Excellence committee will also be recognizing those who made their mark in the past in Chatham-Kent with a Trailblazer award, their most prestigious award.
Tickets are $100 and are available for purchase on January 1.
The awards gala already has a strong showing of community support, including lead sponsor Enbridge, as well as sponsors Son’s of Kent, Teksavvy, Scotiabank, Maple Insurance, Impact Graphics, Chatham-Kent Economic Development and Tourism Services, Winmar, and With This Ring
