Writers Program, Huang History Center
Plant City History & Photo Archives
Kiwanis Club of Plant City will host the 67th Annual Outstanding Citizen of the Year Award Luncheon on Wednesday, January14, at the Florida Strawberry Festival TECO Expo Hall. The doors will open at 11:00 a.m., and the buffet will begin at 11:30 a.m. The event program will begin at approximately 12:02 p.m. and conclude at 1:00 p.m. The luncheon is open to the public and admission is $40 per person, payable to Kiwanis Club of Plant City.
For tickets contact Kiwanis Club of Plant City, Sharon Moody, 1902 Bond St., Plant City, FL 33563; call 813.453.7134; email sharonmoody91@yahoo.com; or heather.coats@baycare.org.
Let’s look back at the history of this event.
In the chapter, “Parks and Memorials,” in the book, Plant City; Its Origin and History, by David E. Bailey, Jr. and Quintilla Geer Bruton, they state the following: “Through the years the community service of other citizens has been recognized, not by establishing memorials and parks in their honor, but by presentation of awards and citations. Grateful fellow townsmen have expressed their appreciation to these good citizens for their unselfish giving of their time, talents, and resources for the betterment of the community and the benefit of all.”
In 1956 the Business and Professional Women’s Club began recognizing the outstanding career woman each year. In 1959 the Plant City Jaycees (Junior Chamber of Commerce) started conferring Distinguished Service Awards to deserving citizens and in the same year began selecting annual recipients for their Good Government Award. In 1972 the Jaycees added an award to outstanding young men. The Junior Woman’s Club added its Family of the Year Award beginning in 1971. And there are more.
To quote Bruton and Bailey, “Possibly the most prestigious award is that naming the Outstanding Citizen of the Year. This award was first sponsored and established in 1960 by The First National Bank in Plant City, which was formed in 1956. The bank was merged into First Financial Corporation, a bank holding company, in 1970. Subsequently, beginning in 1970, the award has been sponsored by the civic clubs under the lead of the Kiwanis Club of Plant City. In the early years, the award was presented during the Florida Strawberry Festival week at a joint civic club luncheon. Over the years it has continued to occur in proximity to the festival dates but not during the festival period itself.
The first recipient of this award was Arthur Rice Boring, President of Hillsboro Bank, who had served as City Commissioner, Mayor-Commissioner, and many other civic positions including Director of the Florida Strawberry Festival from 1934 to 1963. The luncheon was held at the Hotel Plant, the venue for many Plant City ceremonies and banquets.
The first female recipient followed in 1961 when Quintilla Geer Bruton was selected for the Citizen of the Year award. Quintilla Bruton had been the driving force for the Woman’s Club of Plant City and considered the founder of the new public library which opened in 1960.
