CLAY COUNTY — Every day, extraordinary people make Clay County a better place to live — the volunteer who shows up before sunrise, the deputy who knows every family on the block and …
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CLAY COUNTY — Every day, extraordinary people make Clay County a better place to live — the volunteer who shows up before sunrise, the deputy who knows every family on the block and the nurse who stays past the end of a shift. Starting in July, those neighbors will finally get their due.
Clay Today, in partnership with IKO Clay Hill, is launching Hometown Heroes, an ongoing community recognition program that invites residents to celebrate the people who quietly hold the county together. Each month, the program shines a light on a different group of local heroes, culminating in a feature story and a public thank-you on the pages of Clay Today.
The program arrives just as its sponsor, IKO Clay Hill, is putting down roots in the community. The roofing and insulation manufacturer celebrated the grand opening of its 300,000-square-foot Clay Hill manufacturing campus this June — a roughly $240 million investment and the company’s first plant in Florida, expected to create more than 100 local jobs. For the family-owned company, marking its 75th anniversary this year, Hometown Heroes is a way to introduce itself to the very community it now calls home.
How it works
Each month, Clay County residents nominate someone special from that month’s featured service category. Nominations are submitted online along with a photo and a short story explaining why that person deserves recognition. After a 10-day nomination window, the community votes, and the winner is celebrated in Clay Today with a feature story honoring their service.
Each month’s honoree receives a $100 gift card and a framed certificate, presented at a recognition event in their honor.
Who’s being honored, and when
A different category is featured each month. The program’s opening lineup runs:
July — Volunteers
August — Law Enforcement
September — Healthcare Workers
October — First Responders
November — Veterans and Military
December — Youth Community Services
"As IKO Clay Hill expands into Clay County, we wanted our first introduction to be about the people who already make this community special. Hometown Heroes is a meaningful way to recognize the individuals who give back every day, and we're proud to support them as we become part of the community.” - Luay Abutaha, Manufacturing Director, IKO North America.
"Clay Today has told the stories of this community since 1963, and Hometown Heroes is a natural extension of that mission. We're grateful to IKO Clay Hill for making it possible for us to give these everyday heroes the recognition they've earned." — Hugh Osteen, Chief Executive Officer/Owner, Clay Today and Osteen Media Group
How to nominate
Nominations for the July (Volunteers) category are open until July 23 at claytodayonline.com/contests. Residents are encouraged to submit a photo and a few sentences about their hero. Voting begins on July 24.
Clay Today is the only paid-circulation newspaper in Clay County and has been the trusted voice of the community since 1963.
