Smyrna honors Sayers family with inaugural Helping Hands award; council approves $250 for Special Olympics fundraiser

Mayor Gott presented the Town of Smyrna's first Helping Hands award on April 6 to Jessica Sayers and her children, Emma and William, for volunteer community cleanup efforts.

In introducing the award, the mayor said the Sayers family had collected "over 800 pieces of litter" in March and praised their leadership in modeling civic service. Certificates signed by the council, the police chief and the town manager were presented to the family; the mayor described a plan to preserve child handprints on certificate cardstock for future awards. A local diesel truck driver introduced by the mayor gave a small gift to William.

During public comment earlier in the meeting, Special Olympics representatives asked the council to consider sponsorships for athletes and events. Athlete Richard Dunning described his decades-long involvement in Special Olympics and requested sponsorship for the "Over the Edge" fundraiser; a council member later moved to donate $250 to that initiative. Finance staff confirmed the donation was cleared and the motion passed on a voice vote.

Why it matters: The Helping Hands award establishes a visible town recognition for volunteerism aimed at encouraging resident-led neighborhood efforts. The council's approved donation shows a small but tangible local contribution to a nonprofit fundraiser.

What happens next: The award recipients received certificates at the meeting; the town will follow through with the $250 donation to the Special Olympics fundraiser and the town clerk will record the award program details for future recognition.