Community Relations Council recognizes 2024 Human Relations Award winners

The City of Hickory Community Relations Council (CRC) honored the recipients of the CRC’s Human Relations Awards during the Hickory Multicultural Festival held in downtown Hickory on April 27.

The annual Human Relations Awards recognize individuals, organizations, and businesses that go “above and beyond” in promoting good human relations in the City of Hickory. 

Congratulations to this year’s two award recipients, Molly Rice and Ridgeview Recreation Center.

Molly Rice is a poet and educator committed to making the community better. She has taught for nearly 20 years at St. Stephens High School, where she is director of the Tractor Shed Theatre Program. She uses the arts to create civic engagement projects and performances that raise awareness and funds for those who live on the margin in our community. Her students learn about the community through these performances and projects that spotlight important stories and issues. Thousands of students have been impacted by her teaching and meaningful creative work. Through the powerful medium of art, students have also learned about themselves, the importance of empathy, and how to connect with others. 

Ridgeview Recreation Center is a true asset to the Hickory community and beyond. The staff create a welcoming space at the center and put together dozens of community events each year. One especially unique and impactful event to highlight is the annual Living Wax Museum, which takes place on a Saturday in February. This event is in its fourth year and involves community members dressing up to portray important figures in African American history. The event shares the important stories of people who have advocated for civil rights, created positive change, and made our nation a better place.

The City of Hickory and the CRC congratulate the Human Relations Award recipients and commend them for the important work they do to bring people together. 

For more information about the Community Relations Council or the Human Relations Awards, please contact staff liaison Captain Philip Demas with the Hickory Police Department at pdemas@hickorync.gov or 828-261-2608.

Pictured left to right are Facilities and Program Supervisor Todder Clark (Ridgeview Recreation Center), Recreation Programmer John Smith (Ridgeview Recreation Center), and Molly Rice.