Virginia Beach honors nine community leaders at 30th Human Rights Awards

At the Virginia Beach Convention Center, the Virginia Beach Human Rights Commission and city leaders honored nine people and groups at the commission's 30th annual Human Rights Awards, celebrating local work on disability advocacy, immigrant services, homelessness and global medical care.

Council member Michael Berluchcci, who served as master of ceremonies, opened the event and urged the audience to unite against "the lion of hatred," saying the same hatred that targets one group "also hates Black people, LGBTQ" people and others. Mayor Robert M. "Bobby" Dyer tied the ceremony to Universal Human Rights Month and praised the commission's three decades of service, calling compassion "as important as oxygen" for a fair and just society.

The commission presented awards to: Ana (Anna) Castayanos for Spanish-language family empowerment and disability advocacy; Amy and Jerry Frostic of JNA Racing for inclusive youth programs and Starting Strides scholarships; Alejandro Lawson for founding the Refugee and Immigrant Solidarity Coalition; Matthew Lightheart for inclusive library services and youth support at the Oceanfront Library; Bill and Kathy McGee for founding Operation Smile and leading global cleft-care missions; Karen Morrison for re-entry and second-chance advocacy; Angelo Reyes for Filipino-American civic leadership and filmmaking; Dr. Cynthia C. Romero for health equity and pandemic-response organizing; and Jennifer Vaughn for volunteer coordination and homelessness outreach.

"These 382 awardees represent such a great cross-section of our community," Commission Chair Jamal Gun said, noting that with nine recipients the program reaches a total of 382 awards over 30 years. Presenters highlighted concrete achievements: the Frostics' 2022 shoe distribution to more than 700 Title I students; Operation Smile's long-running global mission, which presenters said has provided more than 500,000 surgeries; and Dr. Romero's leadership in mobilizing health students during the COVID-19 pandemic to help vaccinate vulnerable residents.

Several recipients gave brief acceptance remarks. Ana Castayanos spoke in both English and Spanish about advocacy for families with children who have disabilities; Matthew Lightheart described library work as "life from a thousand small kindnesses" and emphasized the library as a safe community space; Bill and Kathy McGee thanked local partners for making Operation Smile's work possible and described student volunteer programs that take students abroad; and Jennifer Vaughn described Faith in Action's effort to make homelessness "rare, brief and nonrecurring." Karen Morrison received an unscheduled musical tribute during her presentation and recognized the community partners who support re-entry services.

Rabbi Israel Zberman offered a closing prayer that emphasized the needed work against rising extremism and referenced a recent attack on the Norfolk mosque, urging the commission and the community to remain vigilant against hatred. The ceremony closed with remarks of thanks, a group photo opportunity and seasonal well-wishes from commissioners.

The awards program functioned as both recognition and a call to continued community cooperation: presenters and honorees repeatedly framed their work as collaborative, drawing on volunteers, city staff and nonprofit partners. Organizers also acknowledged city staff liaisons, the Virginia Beach Sheriff's Honor Guard, Green Run High School Orchestra and the convention center for logistical support. The commission invited honorees and guests to continue engagement with its work in the year ahead.

The event did not record formal votes or motions. It focused on recognition, community-building and statements of concern about local and regional trends in hate or extremism.