Nominations are now open for Middletown and West Chester-area residents to be considered for the second annual Steel Magnolia Award, the Middletown Community Foundation has announced.

Women who have overcome obstacles to positively impact the greater Middletown and West Chester communities have the opportunity to earn recognition as Steel Magnolia Award recipients in the program funded by the AK Steel Foundation.  Up to 10 awards are given annually, limited to no more than one recipient per AK Steel U.S. location per year.  Each recipient designates a $1,000 donation to an eligible charity of her choice.

The award honors women of all ages who have faced personal adversity and have shown exceptional strength, courage, compassion and leadership through their work in support of their communities.

“Strength in times of hardship and adversity are the hallmarks of a strong company and a strong community.  In honor and respect for women who have succeeded in spite of adversity, The AK Steel Foundation is proud to support the Steel Magnolia Award.” said James L. Wainscott, chairman, president and CEO of AK Steel.

Middletown Community Foundation Executive Director T. Duane Gordon added: “The quality of nominations received last year for our inaugural awards was so outstanding that I wish we could have honored all of the amazing women considered for the award. I am certain that this year’s nominations will be equally moving and inspirational.”

Last year’s Middletown honoree was Tammy L. Robert, who selected Hands and Feet, a home repair project administered by Berachah Baptist Church for Middletown families in need, to receive the award’s $1,000 prize. Last year’s West Chester-area honoree was Etta J. Caver of Fairfield, who chose Citizens Against Domestic Violence for her prize.

Caver, an AK Steel employee for more than 20 years, channeled her experience as a domestic violence survivor into helping others in similar situations. Upon leaving her position at AK in 2001, she chose to pursue higher education, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work. She now works as a victim’s advocate for the Butler County Sheriff’s Office and regularly shares her story as a speaker in the dating violence prevention programs operated by Citizens Against Domestic Violence.

Robert, also a survivor of abuse, came to Middletown in 2005. Months later, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Cancer-free today, she is vice president of the Middletown Kiwanis Club and has been a driving force behind most of the organization’s recent projects including its children’s safety day, Memorial Day parade, fund-raisers and organizing reading volunteers as part of the Middletown chapter of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Nominations, which should take the form of an essay of 500 words or less, must be submitted to the program administrator, the Middletown Community Foundation, no later than June 30. Nominees must live in the vicinity of an AK Steel facility. Association with AK Steel is not a requirement for nomination and will have no bearing on the nominee’s consideration.  

Other eligible communities are Ashland, Ky.; Butler, Pa.; Columbus and Rockport, Ind.; and Coshocton, Mansfield, Walbridge and Zanesville, Ohio. An independent panel of judges comprised of volunteers from the various communities reads all nominations and selects the award recipients.

Visit www.mcfoundation.org/steelmagnolia to view complete requirements and obtain a nomination form. For more information, contact the Middletown Community Foundation at 513-424-7369.