It’s time once again for the people of Suffolk to give some thought to how they might honor the people of this city who have made a difference in this community.

Each year, the Suffolk and North Suffolk Rotary clubs get together to celebrate the work done to better this community by one person who lives in the city. The Suffolk First Citizen Award has been given each year since 1956, except for a hiatus from 1999 to 2002, to an outstanding individual who best exemplifies the spirit of citizenship and who has shown significant leadership through his or her time, talents and efforts in order to make Suffolk a better place to live.

The Suffolk club took responsibility for the award from the now-defunct Cosmopolitan Club after the hiatus, and it has shared that responsibility with the North Suffolk club for the past few years.

“We are seeking nominations in the community, because we know there’s a lot of people who do a lot of good deeds, and it’s great for people to be able to step up and nominate them,” Suffolk Rotary Club member Susan Blair said last week. “It’s always such an honor to be recognized for that type of thing.”

Last year’s recipient was car dealership owner Lydia Duke. Other prior recipients have included real estate agent Billy Chorey Sr.; the late Robert W. “Bobby” Harrell Jr.; Dr. R. Leroy Howell; M. Caroline Martin; Sen. Fred Quayle; Dr. Doug Naismith; Delegate Chris Jones; Betsy Brothers, who was active in renovating Suffolk High School as the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts; community activist W. Ross Boone; attorney Whitney Saunders; longtime City Councilman Curtis Milteer; historian Sue Woodward; former Mayor E. Dana Dickens; businessman George Birdsong, longtime General Assembly member Sam Glasscock; dentist Dr. George Barnett; former Mayor Andy Damiani; and former Gov. Mills E. Godwin Jr.

Nominees must be residents of Suffolk, and nominations must be postmarked by July 29. Nomination forms can be found on the Suffolk Rotary Club website at www.suffolkrotary.org. Attach letters of endorsement to the application. When complete, mail to Suffolk Rotary Club, c/o First Citizen, P.O. Box 1972, Suffolk, VA 23439-1972.

The reception honoring the recipient will be held Sept. 26 at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts.

To make a reservation or sponsor the event, contact any Suffolk or North Suffolk Rotarian or visit the Suffolk Rotary Club website at www.suffolkrotary.org. Profits from the event go to help fund the clubs’ charitable donations in the community.

Someone you know may well deserve this honor. Don’t miss this chance to help them get the recognition they deserve.