Five people who are making a difference in their communities will be honored at 4 p.m., Monday, Nov. 4 during the ninth annual Hometown Heroes awards ceremony, held in McKinnon Hall. Members of the freshman class were asked to nominate people from their hometowns whose contributions to the community are exemplary. Freshman class officers selected this year’s winners, who are:
- Emmett Burckell, Fredericksburg, Va.-Nominated by Bridget Burckell
Beginning Sept. 12, 2001, Burckell served as a volunteer rescuer at Ground Zero in New York City. Active in fire and rescue training since the age of 15, Burckell works as a paramedic firefighter in the emergency room at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg - Leonard Linton, Point Lookout, N.Y.-Nominated by Gabrielle Raymond
Awarded the Bronze Star and an Army commendation for bravery during WWII, Linton served in the 82nd Airborne Division which helped liberate the Woebbelin concentration camp and bury the dead. This experience led him to devote much of his life to studying and lecturing about the Nazi regime. He raises money to support the 82nd Airborne Historical Society. - June Mumme, Hammond, La.-Nominated by Leslie Mumme
A breast cancer survivor, Mumme advocates for more research dollars to provide early detection tests and better treatment protocols. Married to a college football coach and the dedicated mother of three children, she has served on the board of the American Cancer Society in her home community. - Janet Prevatte, Charlotte, N.C.-Nominated by Lindsay Andrews
Founder and coach of the DREAM Team (Daring to Role Model Excellence as Athletic Mentors) at East Mecklenburg and Butler High Schools, Prevatte encourages students to make positive lifestyle decisions, committing themselves to be drug, alcohol, tobacco and violence free. She has been a teacher of interior design and currently serves as special populations coordinator at her school. - Patrick Watkins, Washington, D.C.-Nominated by Nicole Miller
Throughout high school, Watkins inspired many clubs to help the community through food drives, fundraisers and adopt-a-family programs. He organized a teddy bear collection for children who were victims of Hurricane Floyd as well as the largest M.S. (Multiple Sclerosis) Walk team in Raleigh, N.C., three years in a row. He inspired classmates to put the community before self.