POINT PLEASANT — Great communities are made up of hard working volunteers.

Through the work of volunteers, many communities are able to achieve success as well as offer a wonderful place to both live and work. As an effort to celebrate those individuals who have worked to improve Mason County, the Mason County Community Foundation and the Point Pleasant Register are hosting the “Spirit of Our Community” program.

Through the program, special volunteers and donors of the community will be honored.

“It is our hope that by showcasing those who create the spirit of our community through this unique recognition program, it will encourage new leaders to follow their good works to continue to make our community a great place to live, work and raise a family,” Jane Winters, Our Community’s Foundation Regional Manager of Affliates, said. “Everyone knows a person, club or organization, or a business that has generously given their time, talent or financial support to improve our community. Take a few minutes and submit a nomination for the Spirit of Our Community Award. This is a great way to honor those who are working hard for our community. It will take just a few minutes to submit a nomination and in turn will give these special people an honor of a lifetime.”

Sammy Lopez, Point Pleasant Register publisher, also said that he was pleased to be part of the Spirit of Our Community program.

“We are proud to partner with the Mason County Community Foundation to honor community volunteers and sponsors of the Spirit of Our Community program. So much good work is done each day by talented volunteers and this program gives all of us a chance to say thank you. I encourage our readers to take time and nominate someone — it doesn’t take much time but would mean a lot to those who get selected for this great honor,” Lopez said.

Spirit of Our Community winners will be selected from the following categories: Health & Human Services; Youth & Education; Arts & Culture; and Recreation. Residents are encouraged to nominate a special person, organization or company from the community who has worked to improve the Mason County area in any of the above categories. Donations provided by the generous sponsors of the program also will be earmarked for the Mason County Support, Arts & Education, Youth and Mason County Community Foundation Scholarship Funds, and will be awarded to these funds in honor of the first four “Spirit of Our Community” winners.

Award winners will be featured in a series of newspaper articles during October and early November. A nomination form along with a one page narrative outlining why this person should receive this award must be submitted to the Mason County Community Foundation, P.O. Box 66, Point Pleasant, WV 25550; sent on line to jane.winters@pacfwv.com ; or faxed to 304-428-4438 by 4 p.m. Sept. 2. The nomination form also is available on the Point Pleasant Register’s Web site, www.mydailyregister.com. Winners will be selected on Sept. 23, and will be featured in a newspaper article highlighting their good works.

Award winners and the program sponsors also will be honored during the MCCF and Point Pleasant Register’s Annual Spirit of Our Community Program & Benefit, slated for 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10. Gold and silver program sponsors will be given tickets to the event. Individual tickets are currently on sale for $50 per person; half tables (four tickets) for $500; and full tables (eight tickets) for $1,000. A sponsorship form also is available on the Point Pleasant Register’s Web site. The form can be accessed by entering the word “spirit” in the search window.

Program sponsors will be featured in all news coverage starting now through October as well. Sponsors will then be honored in a full page recognition advertisement, which will run in November. Spirit of Our Community sponsors to date include the Point Pleasant Register; The Robert & Louise Claflin Foundation; Mid-Atlantic Construction; WBYG Radio; City National Bank; People’s Bank; Farmer’s Bank; Family Medical Clinic – Agnes Simon, MD; Pleasant Valley Hospital; City Ice and Fuel; Homestead Realty/Sandy Dunn; AEP River Operations; and Shaw & Tatterson, L.C.

Sponsorship commitments and tickets can be obtained by contacting the Mason County Community Foundation at 304-372-8588 or jane.winters@ pacfwv.com.

The Mason County Community Foundation is a regional affiliate of Our Community’s Foundation – the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation and the regional affiliates of Doddridge, Jackson, Little Kanawha Area, Mason, and Ritchie Counties. All donations to this public charity are acknowledged as tax deductible.