Rotary "Service Above Self" National Medal of Honor

In Rotary’s ideals of Vocational Service, our Law Enforcement, Fire Safety, First Responders, and other public safety personnel serve above self within their profession each day. They ask for a fair wage and the opportunity to serve, yet their level of service has the potential to far exceed normal expectations of “Service Above Self.” Rotary International developed a method for Rotary Clubs to honor those community heroes who share its motto of “Service Above Self” within their professions and the club reached out to leaders in law enforcement and public safety for nominations.

In this second year of awarding the Rotary National Medal of Honor, the Rotary Club of Americus recently recognized four public service personnel for providing exemplary service to the citizens of the Americus and Sumter County community. The club honored them with a luncheon held on Tuesday, May 10 in the Marshall Private Dining Room on the campus of Georgia Southwestern State University. The 2022 recipients of the National Medal of Honor were Corporal Sherman Anthony (Deputy of the Year), Detective sergeant Cedric Smith (Police Officer of the Year), Engineer Scott Manucy (Firefighter of the Year-Americus), and Firefighter Theo Baldwin (Firefighter of the Year-Sumter County).

The event was timed to coincide with National Police Week.