Recipients of the 2025 Dr. Elizabeth Duncan Koontz Humanitarian Award are, Kenny Hardin, left and Jose Dos Santos. – Karen Kistler

Karen Kistler

karen.kistler@salisburypost.com

 

SALISBURY — “Don’t think about what is. Instead ask why not.” 

This quote by Dr. Elizabeth Duncan Koontz was shared by Christina Rary, chair of the Human Relations Commission, as she challenged those at the Dr. Elizabeth Duncan Koontz Humanitarian Awards program to “think about how you can lean over and create bridges for your community members.”

This event, which honors the legacy of Koontz, recognizes individuals from the community who have demonstrated her ideals and served the community and as Rary shared, “community members who work specifically with marginalized communities to amplify their voices” and those who have gone above and beyond.

During the event, held May 29 at the Salisbury Civic Center, honored two such individuals, Kenny Hardin and Jose Dos Santos, for their various contributions.

Nominations from the public are accepted and then the committee gets together, Rary said, “and we have a rubric thinking about alignment with Elizabeth Duncan Koontz and her work to vote for those nominations.”

The award, as was noted in a previous article, “recognizes those who have made contributions to improving human relations in areas of education, employment, housing, industry, business, civic, church, advocacy and community service.”

During the awards ceremony, Greg Edds, chair of the Rowan County board of commissioners, described Koontz as “a true pioneer in the field of education. She was driven by an unwavering belief and a transformative power of education. Her journey is a powerful reminder of how one individual’s passion and dedication can create ripples of change that impacts countless lives.”

Edward Brown, chair of the Elizabeth Duncan Koontz Committee, shared something he felt exemplified her. She was president of the NEA and was speaking to the group about making use of their united power to “bring about change to educators, men and women, young and old, Black and white, standing together.”

He said that when it came to education, Koontz was standing up for what she believed in, “and for her, it transcended race and gender. It was all about what was right.”

Koontz, said Edds, was also a mentor to many sharing the message that belief in the power of education can change lives.

Matthew Beaver, a member of the Human Relations Commission, described Koontz as a “trailblazer breaking down racial and gender barriers, standing up for equity, dignity and opportunity.”

He also noted that she was a bold advocate for fair wages, workplace dignity and affordable wages and benefits and child and dependent care.

In 1985, she helped to re-establish the Salisbury-Rowan Human Relations Council, now called Commission.

Edds noted that Koontz “reminds us that each of us has the power to impact the lives of others to inspire change and to create a brighter future for generations to come. And after all, that’s why we are here tonight.”

Brown presided over the program, telling how great it was to have people attend the event and honor two great humanitarians in the community.

Family and friends of Hardin and Dos Santos were on hand to support them during the special evening.

Mary James, who nominated Hardin for the award for his establishment of the Veterans Social Center, introduced him and made the presentation.

Having covered veterans’ issues during her career as a TV reporter, James said it created a soft spot in her heart for veterans and when she saw that he had established the social center, she said, “what a void it filled and what wonderful attention it calls to people who have given so much to this country.”

In addition to the center, which provides a place for veterans to socialize and share, enjoy activities, participate in workshops, along with providing other community needs, she pointed additional ways Hardin has volunteered in the community including addressing the drug problem among youth, revitalizing areas in the city, speaking numerous groups, establishing a literacy program and founding the nonprofit organization, the High Road, Inc. which offers free nonlegal advocacy and mediation services to marginalized populations.

Hardin, a native of Salisbury and a six year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, came forward to accept the award and shared how humbled he was for being nominated and appreciative of the committee for presenting the award to him.

He noted earlier that he usually doesn’t accept awards because, he said, “my personal feeling is if you’re practicing humanity with your fellow man, you shouldn’t be rewarded for it. It should just be something that is innate, inherent in you to just want to care about people. So to be recognized for this, I just feel special. I’m excited.”

Hardin took this opportunity to thank many including his family for their support, noting that his children had come to town for the occasion. He also thanked the volunteers at the Veterans Social Center, and many in the community whose help brought about the existence of the facility.

He concluded by saying that he hoped his “life of service will inspire and motivate others to get involved” and urged those in attendance to raise their voices “to ensure diversity, equity and the inclusion of all people.”

Reid Leonard, a longtime friend of Dos Santos, came forward to introduce him and make the official award presentation.

Leonard said that he got the opportunity to do the introductions because he was one of Dos Santos oldest friends in the United States.

He said that everyone who has eaten at his restaurant Chef Santos has a story to tell, but, he added, “none of us knows all of the things he has done in Salisbury” and all of the places that he has delivered food to others.

Leonard also said that people will come to him to get food “and if they need extra help he will give it.”

In the event’s program, it shared that “Chef Santos is known across the community for going above and beyond to help those in need by providing meals for grieving families, taking food to the elderly and those who may be homebound or living with a disability. In addition, Chef Santos uplifts people by hiring those who are underserved or have been previously incarcerated.”

Dos Santos, a native of Brazil, owns two restaurants in downtown Salisbury Chef Santos by Goodfellas and the Italian Grille.

A story was shared in the program about a book that had been written about Dos Santos in 2019 by Elizabeth and Owen Norvall entitled, “Chef Santos: The Chef, His Story and His Recipes” telling how he donated the proceeds from the book sale to local charities.

When he came forward to receive his award, he smiled and told the crowd “thank you very much.”

Asked earlier what it meant to be a recipient, Dos Santos said, “everybody can be it. So you need to be patient and everybody can be it. I believe in everybody, and I think that everybody is equal.”

For the commission to be able to recognize these individuals for what they have done in the community, Rary said, “it’s a piece of hope for the work that we do.” 

She said that many who are either nominated or receive the award do what they do “just out of passion and kindness and love for the community. They don’t ever expect an award, so I think the nominations and the awards create a space of hope and remembering that the ordinary people in our community really do extraordinary work.”

Others participating in the program included Dr. Debra Ellison, a member of the Human Relations Commission, who gave the invocation, Salisbury Mayor Tamara Sheffield, who brought greetings and congratulated the recipients and Sue McHugh, who provided several musical selections during the evening.