Tuesday evening, Rags Smith was announced as the winner of the City of Arkansas City’s 13th annual Joe B. Avery Community Spirit Award during a presentation held at USD 470’s Avery Learning Center. Smith, who grew up in Arkansas City, was honored for her work on the Hope Cemetery Board, the Democratic Committee, Tacolalah Festival, the Equal Employment Opportunity Board, the traffic safety committee, Friends of Wilson Park, the high school gifted program, Downtown Diversity Sign, her involvement in sidewalk assessment work, and her work for the Women for Kansas Organization. Joe B. Avery, a former member of the Ark City Human Relations Commission, passed away in 2008. He was the first recipient of a new award created in his honor.This award is bestowed to a deserving community member who displays the values of community spirit and diversity, as selected by a city-appointed commission or committee. The award celebrates those who make an effort to enhance the lives of others through service and a passion for furthering cooperation and humanitarianism among the citizens of Ark City.
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